


In All His Glory

by MystoTwin



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: A bunch of one shots, A little bit of hurt comfort in here now, Allura takes all, Also Pidge will do whatever it takes to get out of dish or cleaning duty, Arm wrestling is not his strong point, Drabble, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff, Hunk's got Lance's back, Hurt/Comfort, Keith the socially awkward one, Lance can be impressive sometimes too, Lance has something to prove, Lance is a terrible flirt, Lance is not subtle, Lance really felt a connection to Mission Impossible growing up, Lance rolls with the compliment punches, Lance the tragic hero, LancexHunk BrOTP, M/M, Pidge the savage, Pre-Canon, Shallura if you squint, Shallura not intended but you can take it that way if you want, Shidge if you squint, Shiro and Allura work together, Shiro fun times, Upped the rating for language (just in case), i think, i'll add more tags as i go along
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-07-29 11:25:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 28,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7682623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MystoTwin/pseuds/MystoTwin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Team Voltron spends more and more time together, each member begins to learn some interesting things about their eccentric blue paladin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Keith

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! Just a heads up: I am painfully new at this, so please feel free to let me know if there are any thoughts, opinions, or ideas that you'd like to share. I'm very open to constructive criticism!
> 
> Based off of [these headcanons](http://sheith.co.vu/post/148351176446/friend-can-we-get-some-lance-headcannons)

Keith had no idea when it happened. There was no specific day or time he could put a finger on, and yet, inexplicably, it had happened. Maybe it was after the attack on the castle, or maybe it was as far back as being able to form Voltron without having enemy ships trying to kill them. Nevertheless, one thing remained certain:

  


Keith and Lance were friends.

  


If the raven-haired boy was being perfectly honest with himself, he really didn’t mind, and Lance didn’t seem to be bothered by it, either. Keith decided not to dwell on it too much.  


During the many missions they had as a team, sprinkled with the little bits of down time they spent actually enjoying each other’s company, it really shouldn’t have been all that surprising that they’d eventually become so close. So when Lance showed up at his door one night, hair a disheveled mess, bags under his eyes, and a pillow in hand, delivering one of the lamest excuses ever heard ( _“I’m just making sure the Galra crystal didn’t infect your room”_ ), Keith didn’t bother to question him before adjusting his sleeping arrangements to make space. He had heard from Coran that despite Lance's outward nonchalant behavior, even he was prone to homesickness from time to time. And although Keith really couldn't relate all that much, the power of having someone's company was something he understood rather well. Lance, a little wide-eyed ( _“What, you wanna sleep on the floor?”_ ), crawled into place with little complaint and flopped down onto his back.  


Two mumbled “G’night”s were all that passed between them before Keith fell asleep to the sound of Lance’s even breathing.  


  


It had to have been only an hour or so since Keith felt his eyelids droop, yet he was suddenly jostled awake by a hand pawing aggressively at his shirt. Startled, he quickly shifted to his other side and saw Lance fidgeting restlessly, his eyes squinted shut and his head turning from side to side like he was being swarmed by mosquitoes. 

Keith could feel himself panicking. He’d never consoled anyone before, let alone watched someone fight a nightmare. He had absolutely no idea what to do, yet after watching his bed intruder wrestle the unseen demon for a few more seconds, he couldn’t take it any longer. He reached out a hand, bracing himself to shake the blue paladin out of whatever dream he was having. Suddenly, Lance’s eyes shot wide open, and he jolted straight up as if he had been electrocuted.  


“Keith!” he practically screamed, clutching the blankets to his chest with one hand and grabbing Keith’s outstretched arm with the other. He had a light sheen of sweat across his brow, and the bed shook slightly with his shivering.  


“What?! What is it?” Keith felt like his eyes were opened so wide that they were bugging out of his head, and he felt an overwhelming wave of concern for his friend. He had never seen Lance like this before. He watched him take a shaky breath.  


“I left my bagel bites in the garrison microwave.”  


The red paladin did not even need to think twice before punching the brunette in the shoulder and using both his feet to push him off the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to contact me on my [Tumblr page](http://mystotwin.tumblr.com/)
> 
> I'd love to hear any of your comments and/or suggestions!


	2. Hunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today's Lance moment is brought to you by your local lovable Hunk!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off of [these headcanons](http://sheith.co.vu/post/148351176446/friend-can-we-get-some-lance-headcannons)
> 
> Also! Some amazing fanart by [Cooolecat](http://cooolecat.tumblr.com/post/149136638803/lance-being-adorkable-based-on-the-fic-in-all#notes) Thank you so much! :D

When Hunk really thought about it, there was actually a substantial amount of free time in the Galaxy Garrison. After a day filled with classes and simulation exercises, they were basically left to their own devices. In his case, that meant all his free time (and not to mention his free will) was dedicated to whatever Lance wanted to do. Not that Hunk minded; Lance was his best friend, and he knew that if he really was against an idea 110%, Lance would concede. Besides, getting involved with Lance’s random shenanigans meant first dibs on his snack stash.

Occasionally, Lance’s mom would send her son care packages stuffed with the absolute best grub. Hunk had never even seen some of the stuff before, but that never stopped him from trying it. Plus, one of the things that made Lance so great was that he was always willing to share whatever food was hidden in those boxes.

It was during one of those event-less nights in the garrison barracks that Lance suggested they watch a movie. He had just gotten another package from home and Hunk was gonna be all over that like white on rice. It was one of the few things he looked forward to during the long semesters spent away from home.

As Lance got busy selecting which movie they were going to watch, Hunk occupied himself with digging through the box and picking out his usual favorites which, after several minutes, he decided ought to be made into a pile. After he got around to putting all of them aside, he noticed that there were more snacks than usual. When he brought it up, his friend just shrugged and replied that he may have briefly mentioned wanting more during his last video call home. Hunk’s mouth watered and his stomach growled. 

  
Oh yeah, Lance was _definitely_ his best friend. 

  


So when the young engineer learned that they were going to watch Gran Torino, he wasn’t necessarily surprised. He really wasn’t a big fan of violence (that just meant he could spend more time eating), and the movie itself didn’t really make a whole lot of sense to him. Why was it titled after the car? Why were the kids’ cousins so friggin’ terrible? The whole thing actually made Hunk a little uncomfortable, and he tried to distract himself by opening up another package of snacks while mentally thanking Lance’s mom for the upteenth time that evening. It wasn’t until Hunk finished his fifth bag of ketchup-flavored chips ( _“Oh man, these taste like fries. But without, you know. . . the fries. Or ketchup.”_ ) that he noticed the kid from the movie driving away in the old man’s gran torino, and—Oh no.

Looking over, he saw the source of what had just emanated a very loud, very snot-filled sniffle. Lance was shoveling chips into his mouth, tears streaming down his face. The sensitive skin around his eyes was red and puffy, and it was obvious that the water works had been going for a while.

“Dude, Lance. Are you crying?”

The brunette jerked his head towards Hunk like he had forgotten he was there, his face turning several shades redder than the ketchup chips they were eating.

“Psh, no way! My eyes are just sweating; stop interrupting their workout,” he babbled, quickly tossing the finished bag of chips over his shoulder and frantically turning away as he groped behind him for the snack box.

Hunk couldn’t suppress a laugh as he reached over to Lance’s desk and tossed him a tissue box.

“Then I guess they’re gonna need a towel.”


	3. Pidge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today's moment includes the whole gang with game highlights from the one and only precious tech god~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up until this point, I have been trying to avoid a lot of dialogue and focus a little more on thoughts and impressions. For this one though, I think dialogue was kinda unavoidable, so please let me know what you think!
> 
> Based off of [these headcanons](http://sheith.co.vu/post/148351176446/friend-can-we-get-some-lance-headcannons)

     When Pidge entered the dining hall for lunch one afternoon, she had to quickly throw a hand over her mouth to hide the snort of surprised laughter from the scene before her.

     The rest of the paladins, including Coran, were gathered around two seated figures at the long table. One of them was Allura; her long hair was undone from the usual no-nonsense bun and she was wearing her casual dress. But it was the one who was across from the princess that would’ve made Pidge spew water out her nose had she been drinking.

     Lance was definitely in the zone; tongue poking out the side of his mouth ever so slightly, face pulled into a goofy expression of concentration. The green paladin noticed the beads of sweat that were beginning to form on his forehead and his left hand had the corner of the table in a death-grip. His right hand, however, was caught in the firm grip of the princess and their elbows were both pressed against the table’s surface. Shiro and Coran watched with varying degrees of amusement while Hunk and Keith offered words of encouragement.  
  
    ( _“Let’s go, Lance! You got this!”_  
_  
“C’mon, Princess!”_

 _“Wait, whose side are you even on?!”_ )

    Pidge slowly made her way over to her teammates, opting to stand by Shiro and Coran in case Hunk suddenly decided Lance needed another cheerleader. She turned to Shiro.

    “Are they--?”

    “Arm wrestling? Yeah.” He shrugged. “He’s been at it all morning.”

    A loud shriek erupted from the table as Allura flung her opponent’s hand down with a satisfying _thump_ . Where Lance had been straining to get leverage, Allura had just been confused, asking both Keith and Hunk if she was supposed to be waiting for some sort of signal. After receiving a _“Negatory, Princess”_ and a _“What? No,”_ from the cheering squad, she did not hesitate to flop the blue paladin’s arm over as if it were nothing more than the alien equivalent of a dead fish.

    Lance stared at his hand like it had betrayed him as Hunk groaned and put his head in his hands. Keith threw Lance a smirk and Shiro had to step between them before the brunette could throw himself at his teammate.

    “Alright, that’s enough. You’ve already arm-wrestled everyone in the castle--”

    “Yeah, and _lost_ ,” Keith added, crossing his arms as he leaned up against the table.

    Lance _tisk_ ed and turned away, his gaze finally landing on Pidge. His expression immediately brightened. . .

 

. . .and suddenly, Team Voltron’s tech genius found herself hand-in-hand with the biggest goof to have ever walked the halls of the Castle of Lions.

 

    She absolutely could _not_ believe she was doing this and was loathing every second. Precious tech time was being wasted! There were a million other things she could’ve been doing and arm wrestling didn’t even make it on the list. Pidge had never thought too much about things like “team bonding” back at the garrison. It wasn’t that she didn’t _like_ Lance, it was just that their priorities were clearly very different. He didn’t have a missing family, after all.

    “You ready to get creamed?” the blue paladin challenged, rolling his sleeve up and licking his lips in anticipation.

    Pidge sighed. All she really wanted to do was eat lunch so she could get back to work. She sighed and propped her glasses back on the bridge of her nose.

    “Let’s just get this over with.”

    Lance frowned. “Aw, c’mon Pidge, don’t be like--”  
  
    “Go!”

 

    The green paladin squeezed her eyes shut and threw all her weight behind her arm as she pushed against Lance’s hand. She didn’t expect much out of it, but she was also never the kind of person to give up completely without trying. So when Pidge felt no resistance and heard the _thump_ of a hand hitting the table, she was absolutely speechless. Slowly, _very slowly_ , she peeled her eyes back open and noticed that she wasn’t the only one.

    Lance looked incredulous: His eyes were wide and his mouth had fallen open into a giant “O”. The shock was almost tangible and no one moved for what felt like an eternity.

    Suddenly, Keith began to laugh. It was a soft puff of air at first, but soon it was clear that he could no longer control it. His chuckle turned into a full-on outburst of sheer amusement and he had to wrap his arms around his stomach in an effort to dull the pain.

    “You,” he gasped between bouts of laughter, “You actually managed to lose to _every single person here_!”

    Lance looked between Pidge and his hand as if one of them was about to spontaneously combust.

    “Wait, wha-? Hang on a second, that’s not fair! I wasn’t ready!”

    But the crowd was already breaking apart, and Shiro passed by their youngest member just long enough to lightly ruffle her hair.

    “Sorry, Lance. A loss is a loss.”  
  
    Lance spluttered for an appropriate response as Pidge settled happily back in her chair. It surprised her how content she felt about winning something so trivial.

 

    Maybe being around this goof wasn’t so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It might be a few days before I update again since my last summer class is finally coming to an end. I WANNA DESTROY THIS FINAL!


	4. Shiro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro's week goes from boring to interesting when he notices a certain pilot following him around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is by far the longest I've done, but despite the length it was a lot of fun! Please let me know what you think in the comments!
> 
> Based off of [these headcanons](http://sheith.co.vu/post/148351176446/friend-can-we-get-some-lance-headcannons)
> 
> Edit: Fixed an inconsistency within the chapter

     Shiro fought back a heavy sigh as he made his way to the training deck. Behind him, he heard the not-so-silent padding of silver high-top sneakers echoing faintly from down the hall. He couldn’t even pretend to be surprised. He had been hearing those same footsteps following him around now for the past week. The blue paladin wasn’t exactly the most discreet member of the team to begin with, and he certainly hadn't gotten any better.

    He had first noticed Lance’s bizarre new hobby after walking in on a hushed conversation he was having with Hunk. At first, Shiro thought that maybe they had broken some of Pidge’s tech, but the guilty and panic-stricken expressions they wore when he finally cleared his throat told him otherwise. They were definitely up to something.

    That same evening, as he was heading back to his room after a long day of training and castle repairs, he felt a prickling sensation at the back of his neck. He was being followed. His instincts put his nerves on end and he felt his senses heighten with the rush of adrenaline.

    He picked up his pace, turning a corner and rushing to the opening of the next hallway. He pressed his back against the wall. Who could possibly be following him? Was it Pidge, wanting to ask him more questions about her family? Or maybe it was Allura with news on some development on the castle’s defenses. Neither seemed like very good stalking explanations, but he braced himself regardless as he peeked around the corner.

    There. Lance was crouched down, eyes darting from side to side before launching himself into a somersault across the floor to the other side of the hall. He pulled a communicator out from his jacket pocket.

    “This is Handsome Hero to Hunk, come in.”

    There was a pause before receiving an answer.

     _“Aw c’mon man, why don’t_ I _get a nickname?”_

    “Because _you’re_ not the one undercover--Now focus!”

    Lance resumed his serious demeanor, eyes narrowing as he continued to scan the hallway.

    “Handsome Hero to Hunk. I think I lost him. I don’t see ‘im around anymore.”

    Hunk’s reply was immediate.

    _“Oh well, looks like you’ll have to call it a night! Too bad you couldn’t find Shiro--”_

    “No way,” the teen cut in. “I’m not giving up until I figure out exactly what’s going on.”

    _“Lance--”_ the yellow paladin warned.

    “Look, there’s no way in hell Shiro _doesn’t_ wear eyeliner. I grew up with a bunch of sisters, I know exactly what that shit does to your eyes. And when I prove it, you and Pidge are helping Coran clean the cryogenic chambers for the next week.”  
  
     _“Hey, c’mon--!_ ” came the protest, but Lance wasn’t done yet.

    “We made a _deal_ , you guys can’t back out now. Besides, I’m keeping my end of the bargain if I’m wrong, too.”

     _“Well, a week’s worth of desserts is_ very different _from cleaning healing pods--”_

“Up up up! No changing the conditions of the bet now, buddy. We’re in this for the long haul.”

    He stuffed the communicator back into his pocket and shimmied along the wall, stopping just within several feet of his teammate. Shiro tensed at the shortened proximity. The brunette sighed and once again reached inside is pocket.

    “Handsome Hero to Hunk. Continuing search in a new location. Over and out.”

    Without waiting for a response, he barrel-rolled back in the direction he had come, and Shiro listened to the receding echo of his footsteps fade into the hallway.

    He could no longer hold back the amused grin that broke out across his face when he returned to his room. A sense of playfulness Shiro hadn’t felt since the food goo food fight bubbled up to the surface, and he was surprised to find that he had no desire to push it down. So Lance thought he could do some reconnaissance on him, huh?

 

    Oh, Shiro was gonna have fun with _this_.

 

     He spent the next several days fully aware of Lance’s movements and knew that Lance was equally aware of his. He went about his business as usual, making sure to walk to opposite ends of the castle whenever possible. If the younger paladin was going to stalk him all day, then he was going to make sure he got something out of it, even if it was just a little bit of endurance training.

    The morning after the first incident, Shiro had paid a visit to Allura’s chambers before the other paladins were awake. Groggy but curious, she was an eager listener as Shiro relayed what he had overheard, and the Altean princess laughed as she told him she had just the thing he needed. Emerging from her room moments later, she handed him a black, soft-tipped pencil with a fine point.

    It was this alien version of an eyeliner pencil that he was currently carrying with him. The older male ducked into the training deck, knowing full well that he wouldn’t be followed in. He could hear Lance rolling around somewhere behind him, and he swore he could hear the teen’s off-key rendition of the _Mission Impossible_ theme. Shiro had to make a conscience effort not to laugh and shake his head. If Lance wanted to wait around outside for several hours, then he could do just that. All according to plan.

    Before leaving the training deck, drenched in sweat and incredibly exhausted, he turned away from the viewing window of the deck’s control center and discreetly dropped the pencil from his pocket. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he quickly left the room, hoping that Lance had stayed the whole time and witnessed his little “blunder”. He didn’t have to wait long for confirmation when he heard a sudden exclamation of “ _HOLY QUIZNAK!_ ” as he made his way quietly back to his room.

 

    It was early the next morning when Shiro and Allura, whom he had run into on his way to get breakfast, stopped short outside the dining hall. The sound of excited whispering emanated from inside and he recognized the first voice as Lance’s.

    “I _swear_ ! _This_ was on the floor in the training deck last night and Shiro was the only one in there!”  
    “Well,” the second voice was Pidge's. “Did you actually _see_ him drop it? What if it’s Allura’s or something?”

    “No. No no no no no, this is _definitely_ Shiro’s.”

    “I dunno man,” Hunk chimed in, sounding hesitant. “You didn’t happen to like, see him use it or anything, did you?”

    “No. . .” There was a pause. “Oh, come on! Look, I’m so sure I’m right, I’ll even raise the stakes. If I lose, _I’ll_ help Coran clean the healing pods for a week.”

    An aggravated sigh that could’ve only belonged to Keith resounded throughout the room.

    “No, Lance. You’re being an idiot. There’s no way that--”

    “Oh you just wait and see, Pretty Boy! Any second now, Shiro’s gonna walk through that door--”

    That was their cue. Allura and Shiro entered the hall at the same time, innocent smiles plastered on their faces as they greeted the assembled group in front of them. The eyeliner pencil sat in the middle of the table where the rest of the paladins were huddled, and their expressions ranged from panic to eager exuberance. Lance was the first to recover.

    “H-hey guys! Beautiful morning, isn’t it?”

    Keith groaned and slammed his forehead into the palm of his hand. Shooting him a dirty look, the brunette continued.

    “So, Shiro. I uh--I think I found something of yours in the training deck last ni--”  
  
    “My eye pen!” Allura gasped happily as she ran forward to grab it.

    Lance froze. “Your. . .what?”

    “My eye pen! I’ve been looking all over for it. I had no idea I had lost it in the training deck! I must’ve dropped it when Coran and I were running through the castle’s internal defenses.”

    Lance gaped like a fish, glancing back and forth between the princess and Shiro while Pidge and Hunk exchanged knowing grins.

    “B-b-b-but, I _saw_ you! You dropped it--the training deck-- it’s gotta be yours!” He flailed his arms around at every statement as if the emphasis would prove him right.

    Shiro gave him the best confused expression he could muster. The rest of the paladins, Keith included, could no longer hold back the onslaught of giggles.

    “Lance, I don’t even understand what you’re talking about. Why would I wear makeup?”

    By now Pidge, Hunk, and Keith were in absolute hysterics, and Pidge had to take in several shaky breaths before delivering the final blow.

    “A deal’s a deal! Enjoy your week’s worth of pod cleaning, _Handsome Hero_!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My summer classes are finally over, so hopefully that means I get the chance to update more frequently! If not every few days, then at least once a week for sure. c:


	5. Keith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith learns something new about both Lance and himself during a late-night brain session.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been the quickest to flow from pen to paper thus far. Please let me know what you think in the comments! Any sort of feedback is welcome and appreciated~
> 
> Also, I would like to thank Colecat25 and Nylasoutpost for helping me edit all the darn time (and at crazy hours)! I honestly wouldn't be able to do this without you guys <3
> 
> Based off of [these headcanons](http://sheith.co.vu/post/148351176446/friend-can-we-get-some-lance-headcannons)

     Keith woke up with a start, eyes wide and frantic as he took in the view of a powder-gray wall looming before him. When he was finally aware that he was awake in his own room, he released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Behind him, he felt gentle puffs of air on his neck and remembered the warm presence that was accompanying him in his usually empty bed.

    Lance still came to his room from time to time, and Keith continued to let him crash without question. Despite their bickering, their friendship continued to grow, and the red paladin knew he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the company. Although he would never admit it out loud, he was especially grateful on nights when he was plagued with nightmares of  his own. During those nights, he would always wake up panicked, disoriented, confused, and with no memory of his nightmares. After moments like those, it often took him a solid ten minutes before he could calm down and recognize his surroundings. With Lance around though, the time was always cut in half. Keith couldn’t explain it, but every time he felt the brunette’s warm breath against the back of his neck and hear the soft sounds of his breathing, it was suddenly a whole lot easier for him to calm down. 

    Keith never turned around, though. They never slept face to face and they definitely never made physical contact if they could help it. There were just some boundaries that the raven-haired teen couldn’t cross, and his teammate never seemed to mind. So he always made it a point to sleep facing the wall and only ever turned around if he needed to wake Lance up from a nightmare. After the bagel bites incident, Keith had no problem grabbing the blue paladin’s shoulder in order to shake him back into consciousness. Lance called it “unnecessary payback”, Keith called it “being helpful”.

    Tonight however, was different. First, Keith tried shutting his eyes and taking deep breaths, but when that didn’t work he tried counting sheep. Heck, he even tried wiggling in place in hopes that maybe, if he burrowed down enough, the bed would absorb him and slip him into a coma . But sleep would just not come. Keith glared at the wall, suddenly very aware of Lance’s light and undisturbed snoring. It wasn’t fair! How come  _ he  _ got to come in here and sleep like a dumb baby while Keith had to suffer from what could very likely be a mild form of insomnia? It was like they had switched places!

    Groaning in frustration, he gave up and flopped over to his other side, facing Lance. Maybe the change in position would do him good. He settled in, smooshing his head firmly into the pillow for optimum comfort. He shut his eyes again. Minutes passed. First five, then ten, then twenty. After almost half an hour, the raven-haired pilot was about ready to punch a wall. What did he have to do to get some sleep around he--

    His brain suddenly short-circuited. 

    Without his knowledge, he had been nose-to-nose with Lance this whole time. And although he was quite familiar with all his teammates’ faces by now, there was one small detail about the brunette’s that took him by surprise. Well,  _ several _ little details. Faintly,  _ oh so faintly _ across the bridge of his nose, was a light dusting of freckles. There weren’t many, but the area they covered on his face was extensive enough to get Keith’s attention; spanning from under one eye to the other.

    The red paladin fought the urge to reach out and touch them, mentally berating himself for even considering it. He was exhausted and frustrated, so it was normal for brains to suddenly get interested in trivial things like that. . . right? But no matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, it was clearly not up for discussion.

 

    Keith found Lance’s freckles to be completely, utterly, and unequivocally  _ adorable _ .

 

_ Shit. Oh shit, oh shit, oh  _ **_shit_ ** _. _ He felt his face heat up at the realization without his permission and he wanted nothing more than to launch himself out into space right then and there. Why  _ now _ , of all times? Why did he have to notice this while they were  _ sharing a bed _ ? Well, he could kiss sleep good-bye at this point. There was no way in hell or space he was going to get any sleep  _ now _ .

    Succumbing to his fate, he allowed his eyes to wander back to Lance’s freckles and began to wonder if he had had them since he was a kid; playing outside with his siblings or running around at the beach. Keith then wondered if the teen’s family knew he even _had_ freckles. Did his parents, after coming in to kiss him good-night, stop and smile down at that bundle of energy and notice just how cute they made him looked? Did his siblings ever tease him about it? Maybe he actually got a lot of attention from it. Keith had overheard girls giggling at the topic of freckles before, but it was all gibberish to him at the time. Now he felt he understood it all too well. _Stupid Lance with his stupid freckles_. As thoughts and images of Lance’s freckled childhood continued to swirl around Keith’s head, sleep finally crept up on him and was welcomed with open arms.

 

    The next morning,  when he awoke to find that Lance had already left, Keith spent the entire walk to the dining hall steeling his mind against any thoughts affiliated with the words “cute” and “freckles”. But when he finally took a seat at the table and was greeted by the freckled wonder himself, the fighter pilot had no time to even process what was happening before his mouth took over.

    “Your freckles. They’re cute.”

    Lance froze, blinking owlishly at his teammate with a look of confusion before recognition finally lit up his features. 

    “Oh yeah, I completely forgot I had those!”

    The blue paladin swung his feet up on the table, leaning as far back on the chair as possible while cradling the back of his head with his hands. He winked at Keith.

    “Yeah, these babies got a lot of dates back on Earth. Ladies  _ love _ the freckles.”

    “I take it back,” Keith deadpanned. “You’re an idiot and your freckles are dumb. You can hardly see them anyway.”

    Lance almost flipped off his chair with a start.

    “W-what?! You can’t take back a compliment!”

    “Well, guess what. I just did.”

    He was grateful when, at that very moment, the rest of the paladins arrived with breakfast, and the topic was never brought up again. But he was alright with that, because out of the corner of  his eye, when everyone else was listening to Pidge explain some of the most recent things she discovered while reverse-engineering some Glara tech, he noticed that Lance’s ears and face had turned a light shade of red, and was clearly not even listening. 

    Keith decided that he liked Lance the most when he was blushing or sleeping. He could see his freckles best that way.


	6. Hunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance demonstrates an odd talent that takes the paladins by surprise. Everyone that is, except for Hunk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was worried about how this one would turn out, but after running it through Colecat25 and Nylasoutpost, all I can do is hope that I have presented you all with something that's still enjoyable~ A big "thank you" and a bunch of hugs go out to those two, as always!
> 
> Please let me know what you think in the comments below!
> 
> Based off of [these headcanons](http://sheith.co.vu/post/148351176446/friend-can-we-get-some-lance-headcannons)

    Hunk let out the biggest groan of his life as he dropped onto the couch cushions back at the Castle of Lions. The rest of the paladins followed suit; Lance draping a leg over the backrest while Keith immediately attempted to become one with the cushions the moment his butt hit the couch’s surface. Pidge didn’t even bother to sit, instead opting to lie down face first, her sigh sounding muffled through the fabric of the cushions. Shiro gently eased himself down and released a long and slow exhale, like every inch of his body was in pain and deflating. No one said anything for the longest time; each pilot preferring to relax in the silence of each other’s company.

    Hunk closed his eyes, listening to the sound of his teammates’ breathing. Although it was never said out loud, there was an unspoken agreement amongst the group that they never appreciated each other’s existence more than after returning from Galra-related missions. Spending time together afterwards had become a tradition with them, and this last reconnaissance excursion was no exception.  

    The team had gotten word of a potential Galra base in a nearby system, courtesy of a native to a recently rescued planet. They took the tip and followed the coordinates to a small Galra station where a small platoon of fighter ships were poised and ready for battle. The paladins didn’t have time to wonder if it was a trap or just bad luck, so they just went about doing what they did best. In this case, it was blowing Galra ships up, but not before Pidge had used her lion’s cloaking feature to discover the purpose of the base. All she was able to gather was that it was a POW camp only used to hold anyone captured from the neighboring planets. Despite her hopes, her father and brother would not have been taken there. Afterwards, forming Voltron and cleaning up proved to be a little tricky, but nothing their training didn’t prepare them for.

    After getting back to the castle ship, there was nothing Hunk wanted to do more than lie on the couch for the next week and eat food goo straight from the hose. Granted, Coran probably wouldn’t agree to modifications on the length of the food goo hose, but maybe with a little convincing--

Suddenly, Lance’s voice cut through the silence.

    “Hey, Hunk. You remember that one time in our first year at the garrison--”

    “Oh no,” the yellow paladin groaned. “Not this again.”

    Keeping his limbs draped over the top of the couch, Lance moved only so that his head was looking in Hunk’s direction.

    “Hell yeah, _this again_. Don’t think I forgot, big guy.”

    Pidge looked up, turning her face out of the cushions so her voice could be heard. Hunk vaguely wondered how she’d been able to breathe that whole time.

    “Wait, what happened?”

    Everyone was listening now. Shiro had taken on a more relaxed position and was looking between Lance and Hunk expectantly, and Keith was giving Lance a look that meant he knew what was coming. And boy, did he ever. They were in the same classes at the garrison, after all. That is, until the fighter pilot had dropped out. But that was all water under the bridge. Except for this. Lance had never let this one slide.

    “Lance,” Hunk pleaded, but Lance was just getting started.

    “Remember that one time in communication transmissions class you farted so loud that the _whole class_ heard?”

    “Yes, “ the mechanic mumbled, dragging a hand down his face.

    “That’s not much of a story though,” Pidge interjected. “We’ve seen Hunk puke at least a hundred times.”

    “True true,” Lance nodded. “But that’s not the end of it.”

    He turned back to Hunk.

    “So, remember after you farted and the whole class heard, they thought it was _me_ and called me ‘the gassy monkey’ for a whole week and you never fessed up?”

    At this, Pidge and Keith couldn’t hold back a snort while Shiro grinned.

    “But why a monkey?” he asked with a chuckle.

    Keith coughed out another laugh before grabbing the lobes of his ears.

    “Because he’s got _massive ears_!”

    Lance turned three shades of red and threw his arms up in the air.

    “But that’s not the point! My name was never cleared. I’ll be remembered as ‘the gassy monkey’ for the rest of Garrison history!”

    Hunk felt himself begin to laugh despite his exhaustion. Reminiscing with Lance like this always ended in someone laughing, anyway. He put his two hands out in front of him in a gesture of surrender.

    “I know, I know, and I said I was sorry! A lot, actually. Besides, that was four years ago, can we just let it go?”

    The former cargo pilot threw his head back in a dramatic laugh.

    “Ha! I think you mean 3 years, 321 days, 5 hours, and 41 seconds ago. . .”

 

    The room suddenly got quiet. _Really_ quiet. Hunk prayed his body didn’t betray him and let out a belch or some other ungodly sound.

 

    Pidge and Shiro were looking at him with a mixture of amazement and confusion, while Keith just stared at Lance like he had grown a third head. The blue paladin looked around the room and cleared his throat.

    “But okay yeah sure, I can drop it.”

    “There’s no way you really know that,” Keith mumbled, eyes never leaving his teammate’s face. Hunk held up a hand and shook his head. He was used to these kinds of reactions whenever Lance showed off his creepy internal clock thing.

    “Don’t question, just accept.”

    Lance removed his leg from the top of the couch and shook his head.

    “I can’t believe _that’s_ what you’re caught up on. I was wronged!”

    He then sighed, stood up, and stretched.

    “Welp, I’m gonna hit the showers and catch some Zs. Beauty like this doesn’t keep itself up, you know.”

    He glanced at the rest of the team, expecting some sort of a response. Instead, they were still looking at him with varying degrees of shock. Shiro was the first to recover.

    “Good idea. We should all get some sleep. C’mon, team.”

    Everyone extracted themselves from the couch’s surface as Lance waved and wished them a good night before leaving to get a head start to the shower. Pidge and Keith were at Hunk’s side almost immediately.

    “He’s gotta be making it up, right?” Pidge asked. “I mean, to be able to do that would be. . . well, incredible!”

    Hunk shrugged. “I never questioned it. He was always crazy good at timing stuff without a stopwatch.”

    Keith ran both hands through his hair and groaned as if thinking about this any further would melt his brain.

    “For a dumbass like him, that’s actually gotta be the single most impressive thing I’ve ever seen. Heard. Whatever.”

    Pidge was already calling after Lance before Keith could finish his sentence.

    “Lance! When was the last time you ate?”

    His response echoed back through the hall within seconds.

    “17 hours, 26 minutes, and 52 seconds ago!”

 

    The yellow paladin couldn’t suppress a grin, and it stayed there long after they parted ways and he was happily curled up in bed. Lance was a drama queen and a primadonna a lot of the time, but underneath all that he was really an incredible guy, and Hunk was going to make sure that the rest of the team got the chance to realize that.

  
Eventually.


	7. Pidge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today, Lance proves that there is never an inappropriate time for a punchline.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one now holds the new record for longest chapter! Things had to go about on a different note in this one, so please let me know what you think~
> 
> As is tradition, thank you so much Colecat25 and Nylasoutpost for putting up with all the stress that editing gives. Q^Q You guys are the best!
> 
> Based off of [these headcanons](http://sheith.co.vu/post/148351176446/friend-can-we-get-some-lance-headcannons)

     If Team Voltron wasn’t in deep shit before, Pidge was absolutely certain they were now. She hurriedly surveyed her surroundings, panic beginning to creep into the corners of her usually rational mind. She shook her head vigorously. No time to think like that. Her teammates were all scattered and running around somewhere on this Galra ship, and she had to find them. Or one of them, at least.

     The mission had been going well at first. The task was simple: Sneak aboard the unsuspecting ship, hack into the mainframe of their control room, get whatever info was stored there, and get out. Shiro and Pidge were to get the data while Keith and Lance acted as decoys for any Galra soldiers on patrol. Hunk, Allura, and Coran were to guard the castle and the other lions from any small fighter ships. No one had any complaints; the plan was solid. So when the team took to their tasks, they hadn’t really considered a worst-case scenario. The Galra ship was very minimally guarded, and the paladins took this to be their first lucky break in a while. That was their first mistake.

     Pidge had been following Shiro through the maze of hallways, trusting his memory to lead them through to the control room. He had once explained that the Galra ships were all constructed with the same basic format so that soldiers could board any ship in the fleet and know exactly where to go. Thankfully, Shiro had been dragged all over the ship he was held captive on, so he was pretty familiar with the layout. They made their way quickly; stopping every so often to wait for a sentry or two to pass them by. Suddenly, a loud siren blared through the hallway, and Keith’s voice came in through Pidge’s helmet.

_"We’ve been spotted. Lance and I are on the mo--“_

     A sudden yelp from Lance cut Keith off, and Pidge threw Shiro a worried look. There was an abrupt and tense pause.

     “Lance? Lance! Keith, what happened?” the black paladin asked hurriedly.

_“I. . .I don’t know! He was right behind me a second ago, but I—he’s just gone!”_

     Pidge had never heard him so distraught before; barely concealed panic was rising in his voice with every word. She knew Shiro could hear it, too. His expression had turned grim.

     “Keith, don’t worry. We’re not leaving without him.”

_“I’m going to go look.”_

     It was clear that the red paladin wasn’t asking for permission. Shiro sighed.

     “I’ll search, too.”

     He turned to Pidge.

     “The control room should be close. Just turn right down this next hallway, then left at the one after. I’ll run on ahead. If they’ve come up with some sort of trap, I’ll make sure to trip it before you get too close.” He rested both hands on her shoulders. “Don’t worry, we’ll find him.”

     Pidge nodded, tightening her grip on her bayard. Shiro had given her a small smile then, and was off. True to his word, when she arrived at the control room, there was only one robotic sentry monitoring the screen. Pidge’s eyes narrowed in anticipation, and her mouth pulled into a Cheshire cat-like grin. _Piece of cake._ Her bayard shot out, the bladed end wrapping itself around the sentry’s legs. It toppled to the floor as she pulled back on the handle with a practiced ease that came with plenty of experience. She lunged forward and sliced the incapacitated robot across the chest, ensuring that a majority of its main circuitry was now permanently damaged. After separating the arm from the rest of its body, the green paladin placed the limb on the print scanner. It was only a matter of seconds before she was able to  gain access into the mainframe. After downloading the data, she spoke quickly into her helmet’s microphone.

     “Download complete. I’m heading back to my lion.”

 _“That’d be great!”_ came Hunk’s desperate voice. “ _I dunno why, but there are a whole lot more ships now!”_

     Shiro’s voice was the next to come in.

 _“They must’ve been expecting something like this to happen. I was careless.”_ There was a pause, then, _“Keith and I will continue looking for Lance. Pidge, you go help Hunk and Allura with those fighters. Something tells me it’s not going to get any easier from here on out.”_

     She then said a brief “roger” before rushing out of the room and began back-tracking the route that would’ve reunited her with her lion. Except that, when she leaned against a small part of the wall as several Galra sentries rushed past, she felt the floor open beneath her and suddenly Pidge was _falling_. The drop hadn’t been that far, but the surface she landed on wasn’t cushioned and the impact would’ve definitely done some serious damage had she not been wearing armor. It was still enough to knock the wind out of her, and as her head slammed against the inside of the helmet, she could’ve sworn she saw stars dancing around before her eyes. It took several excruciating moments before the jarring pain in her head and chest could settle into a dull ache, and she propped herself up into a sitting position to catch her breath.

 

     So, their current situation? Lance was missing, Hunk, Allura, and Coran had their hands full with Galra fighters, Keith and Shiro were running around somewhere, and Pidge had fallen down some sort of secret shaft with no immediate way out. Oh yes, they were _definitely_ in some serious shit this time.

     After activating the flashlight function on her suit and assessing her surroundings, she tried to get her bearings and walked a few steps forward. Her foot suddenly connected with something that felt familiar. She had accidentally tripped over this particular object at least a hundred dozen times back at the Castle of Lions. She bent down to pick up a certain blue paladin’s helmet.

     “Uh, guys? I think I know where Lance might be.”

     Pidge could hear the relief in Shiro’s voice when he responded.

_“Good work, Pidge. Where are you now?”_

     “I fell down some sort of shaft and found his helmet. He must be somewhere down here, too.”

     She looked around again as she spoke, hoping to find another clue as to Lance’s whereabouts.

_“Alright. Finding Lance is our top priority, but keep your eyes open for any ways out. Keith and I will find a way down there.”_

_“And please, hurry!”_ came Allura’s voice. _“We’re taking heavy fire out here!”_

     Shiro’s reply was immediate.

_“Don’t worry, Princess. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”_

     Pidge continued to meander through the dark passageways, her flashlight reflecting off the specks of dust that swirled around as she approached. The air was stale but not suffocating, and she wasn’t sure if the slight haze that creeped at the edge of her vision was due to the mustiness of being down below or because her fall did more damage than she thought. She wanted to rub at her eyes to be sure, but didn’t think it was worth taking the several seconds required to remove the visor of her helmet to do so. _Who knows what’s down here._

     The wide corridors took her in one direction most of the time, and sometimes she would come across forks in the path and have to make completely uneducated guesses. It felt like wandering around in a maze. To help keep her mind active, Pidge found herself wondering why her teammate hadn’t bothered to pick up his helmet. It would’ve made finding him so much easier if they could communicate.  Realizing that wandering alone was getting her nowhere, she decided to try calling for him.

     “Lance? Laaaance! Are you there?”

     She got no response. Not that she expected one. That would’ve been too easy. She tried several more times; each attempt at establishing contact making her feel more and more ridiculous. Ridiculous and _worried_. Calling out while stuck on an enemy ship was never a good idea, but Pidge had run out of good ideas a long time ago. Plus, without his helmet, there was no other way she could think of to get ahold of him. It was a risk she was just going to have to take. Didn’t mean she had to like it, though.

 _“Pidge.”_ Shiro’s voice was breathless, like he had been running a marathon. _“We think we’ve found a way down. Have you found Lance yet?”_

     “Negative,” she responded. “This place is like a maze. I have no sense of direction at all.”

_“Hang in there, we’re on our way.”_

     Pidge held back a sigh. They had to find Lance quickly and get out. The longer they stayed on the ship, the harder it was going to be for them to leave. She tucked Lance’s helmet under her arm and picked up her pace, jogging down the next several corridors. The air was beginning to feel less stale and more circulated, and she began relying on her other senses to help make her decisions. She felt a very faint breeze against the exposed skin on her face, and she hurriedly followed it along, hoping that Lance had used whatever survival skills he had to do the same.

     A sudden loud stomping suddenly ran up behind her, and Pidge barely had time to turn around before a robotic Galran sentry thrust an arm out, nearly making contact with her shoulder before she could scramble away with a shout of surprise.  Putting distance between herself and the sentry, she searched for its weapon as she reached for her own, feeling it materialize in her hand from its place on her right thigh.

 _This robot’s different_ , she realized, though she had no idea where that thought had come from. It looked like all the other robotic sentries she’d taken apart and reprogrammed, except that this one didn’t seem to have a hand-held weapon. _How does it plan to fight, then?_ The sentry swung at her again, breaking her train of thought as she dove out of the way. She felt a _whoosh_ of air as a glowing arm narrowly missed the side of her face. The impact from its attack left a small crater in the wall, and it was only then that the youngest paladin realized with a sinking feeling that this sentry was _strong_ . Strong and crazy fast. _No wonder this thing doesn’t have a weapon_ , she thought unhappily, finally taking notice of the purple sheen emanating from its right hand. _Looks like whatever they did to Shiro, they tried doing to this thing._

     Pidge turned sharply on her heels and sprinted down the corridor, her breathing ragged and the haziness of her vision adding to the panic that was fueling her adrenaline. She could hear the stomping of the sentry steadily growing closer, and she knew it was only a matter of time before it would overtake her. She stopped dead in her tracks, tossed Lance’s helmet aside, and turned around. There was no other option but to stand her ground and hope that Shiro and Keith would arrive soon. The robot sensed her intention and slowed down, stopping just a few feet in front of her; arm glowing with renewed purpose. Heart slamming against her ribcage, Pidge readied her bayard. She wasn’t going down without a fight, not without seeing her father and brother again.

     Bracing her feet in a wide stance, she raised both her hands at eye level like Shiro had taught her. At least now she could see the results of her training. The sentry readied itself to pounce. But before it could make another move, a loud _clank_ shocked Pidge out of focus as she watched the sentry collapse, a huge dent nestled in the back of its head.

 

     “Surprise, bitch.”

 

     Where the enemy once was now stood Lance, his bayard held between his hands and a stream of dried blood clinging to his face. Pidge had never been so happy to see the blue paladin in her life.

     “Lance!”

     She grabbed his helmet off the floor and ran to him, getting a better look at his condition as she placed it in his hands.

     “Geez, what happened to you?”

     Lance gingerly put a hand against the scabbing cut in his hairline and winced.

     “That robotic Shiro wannabe was waiting for me when I got down here. Knocked the helmet right off my head before I could bolt.”

     Pidge felt herself wince as she watched Lance carefully put the helmet back on and opened up communication with the rest of the team.

     “Guys, I found Lance! He’s down here with me—“

     Keith immediately screeched through the intercom.

_“Lance, you idiot! Do you have any idea how much you made us worry?! And where was your helmet? How did it even manage to leave your stupidly big head? What—“_

     “Oh my God,” Lance groaned. “I should’ve just kept this thing off. . .”

     Shiro cut in before Keith could suffer a hemorrhage.

_“We’ll save the talk for later. We’re reaching the hatch now. Get ready for extraction.”_

     Sure enough, not far from where they were, Pidge could feel the rush of air and saw a flood of light stream in from a hatch in the ceiling. Shiro’s voice called for them to move quickly, and the two paladins sprinted over. Pidge used her bayard’s grappling hook function to bring them back to the main level, and the group wasted no time in making their way back to their lions.

     Between running, ducking, and dodging through enemy fire, Pidge couldn’t help asking Lance one question.

     “Seriously? ‘Surprise, bitch’?”

     Lance grinned.

     “C’mon, it’s a great line! Besides, when was I going to get such a badass moment like that again?”

     Despite their situation, Pidge couldn’t help but smile, and although it was obvious that Shiro and Keith found their current predicament to be much more serious, she saw that they were smiling, too. She opened up the communication link.

     “Princess, we’re on our way!”

 


	8. Shiro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance decides to put his Earthly talents to good use.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY THIS UPDATE TOOK A SMALL LIFETIME!  
> I've gotten into the habit of writing it all down by hand before typing it out, and this time it just took forever. "OTL  
> I'm still trying out new things with my writing, and this one is probably the most wordy of the drabbles thus far. Please let me know in the comments what you think!
> 
> The editing process was basically Colecat25, Nylasoutpost, and I reading through the whole thing in various accents and vocal inflections. Honestly, it was the best thing we could have ever done. Thank you both so so much!
> 
> Based off of [these headcanons](http://sheith.co.vu/post/148351176446/friend-can-we-get-some-lance-headcannons)

     It was early in the afternoon, and Shiro had just walked out of the training deck with Keith when they suddenly heard a screech of panic resonate throughout the castle.

_“What do you mean ‘We’re almost out of food’?!”_

     They shared worried looks before breaking into a sprint towards the source of the sound and soon found Hunk in the kitchen, hugging the nozzle of the food goo tube while Coran looked at him with a mixture of pity and concern.

     “There there, Hunk! This castle has always run on replenishable supplies,” he was explaining, twiddling the end of his mustache between his thumb and forefinger. “It just needs to be restocked. No problem! We can just find a planet that’s hospitable to edible life forms.”

     Hunk just whimpered as the door hissed open and Pidge walked in, lightly clutching her stomach. She noticed Hunk on the floor, still cuddling the food goo tube, and her eyes wandered over to where Shiro and Keith were standing. Neither had said anything, unsure of how to console their distraught teammate.

     “. . . I guess Hunk’s not making lunch?” she asked hesitantly as she slowly lowered her hand from her midsection. Hunk whipped his head in her direction, tears threatening to spill out of his eyes.

     “How can I make food when we’re suffering from a tragedy? We’re running out of food! Our grub supply is. . .” he paused, tucking the end of the hose under his arm to wiggle his fingers like he was trying to grasp something intangible. “. . .dwindling! Next thing you know, we’ll starve and then Zarkon’ll come in and take our lions and then the universe’ll be doomed and then—“

     Shiro couldn’t take much more of this and cut in before that line of thought could get any more extreme.

     “Alright, alright,” he said as he kneeled down to put a comforting hand on Hunk’s shoulder. “Let’s not get carried away here. Besides, we still have food. This just gives us plenty of time to plan.” He looked up at Coran. “There _is_ a place to restock, right?”

     Coran hummed as he continued toying with his mustache.

     “We may have to find a planet that’s far enough out of the reach of the Galra Empire. There aren’t many in this solar system that hasn’t been taken over by Zarkon.”

     As Coran spoke, Hunk began to dislodge himself from the hose. Sensing that he was about to stand, Shiro straightened to give him room.

     “Well, this guy’s gotta restock, too.” The yellow paladin turned dejectedly towards the plate storage unit. “I’ll make lunch.”

     Pidge stuck close behind him and asked to help. Hunk seemed to brighten a little at the offer, and Shiro couldn’t help a small smile at the sight. It was great to see the team so close, even if it _was_ to comfort a teammate over food. But if it was that important to the young mechanic, then that’s all that really mattered.

     Lance arrived shortly after followed by Allura, who was promptly notified about their supply situation.

     “Not a problem,” she assured Hunk with a gentle smile. “Luckily, I was looking at the nearby solar systems just a few ticks ago. There should be a planet with life forms similar to Altea and Earth a system or two away.”

     Lance chimed in, his eyebrows knitting together to form a slightly perplexed expression.“Uh, last I heard, Altea and Earth are two _very_ different planets.”

     They were all seated at the dining table at this point, Hunk and Pidge settling down shortly after distributing the plates of food to everyone.

     “True, but I can assure you that whatever Alteans can eat, Earthlings can eat as well.” She glanced around as Hunk shoveled a handful of food into his mouth and smiled. “Even _if_ the food appears different.”

     And so, after they had finished eating and Shiro had made the last-minute decision to put on his suit, he found himself and the rest of the paladins in the briefing room, where Allura had already taken her place at the control panel. No matter how many times he’d seen it, the miniature planets and constellations within the map of the galaxy never ceased to bring out the kid in him. Years and years ago, a little, bright-eyed Shiro had dreamed of being a space pilot, and wanted nothing more than to explore the far reaches of deep space like a modern day Captain Kirk. He never quite grew out of that small adventurous spark, and he couldn’t help but stare, a little slack-jawed, as the holographic space map grew from the center of the control panel and spread to the edges of the room.

     Many of the nearby planets were glowing with a reddish hue, and they stung Shiro back to the present; a painful reminder of his job as the black paladin of Voltron. Everything the team did had to be calculated and cautious. One wrong move could send them right into the hands of the Galra, and then the rest of the free galaxy would be doomed. Images of his capture on Kerberos flashed through his mind, and he fought his way out of his morbid reverie. _Now you’re thinking like Hunk_ , he half-joked, but his heart wasn’t in it, and the rational side of his mind struggled for dominance. Now wasn’t the time for depressing thoughts. They had a mission to plan for, and thankfully it didn’t involve Galra infiltrations or daring planetary rescues.

     Keith, who was standing next to him, gave a nearby holographic planet a small poke.

     “So, how do we figure out where to go, exactly?”

     “Easy,” Pidge answered, walking through several planets and appraising each one. The red glow reflected eerily off her glasses as she adjusted them a little higher on the bridge of her nose. “We just have to find a planet on the map that’s not red and has atmospheric readings that show it supports life.”

     Allura beamed. “That’s correct. As long as we’re a safe enough distance away from any planets that have been taken over by the Galra, finding a life-sustaining planet shouldn’t prove too much of a challenge.”

     She passed a hand over the console, and the planets slowly began scrolling by. Shiro saw only red for several more seconds before his eyes were finally able to settle on the pale blue hue of unconquered planets. _We definitely have our work cut out for us._ But his thoughts were cut short by an excited gasp from Allura.

     “Here we are!” she exclaimed as she narrowed in on a single planet. Everything else faded out as the chosen planet zoomed in and grew in size.

     “The planet Trekavis has long been a place of rest and refuge for Altean travelers and diplomats. The Trekavians are a kind, peace-loving species that would often allow us access to their planet’s natural vegetation without interference. They were also eager to trade whatever we had for other provisions.” She paused with a fond smile, turning to Shiro as she spoke. “It is good to see that it has yet to be defiled by the Galra.”

     Shiro stepped forward, glad to finally be doing something proactive and useful rather than sulking away in his memories. It was becoming more and more frequent lately.

     “This operation should be plain and simple. Hunk, I want you to go down there and grab anything that may seem familiar to you. The princess said that the plants there are similar enough to eat, so finding them shouldn’t be a problem.” He focused his attention next on the green and red paladins. “Pidge, Keith, I want you two to help him out. Gathering for the whole crew is no one-man job.”

     “And I’ll go with them,” Allura added. “There may not be anyone left on Trekavis who remember Alteans, but I still have a duty as a princess to perform. My people have been working with them for centuries, after all.”

     Shiro considered this briefly before agreeing. It didn’t sound like a bad idea by any standard, but he still had to acknowledge the possible negatives that could result from her absence from the castle. In the event of a Galra attack, would she better off on the ship or on Trekavis? If she remained on the ship, then her quintessence would continue to control the ship and, therefore, all shields and artillery would be at her disposal. On the other hand, if they managed to sneak past their defenses and manage to infiltrate the castle, Allura would be put directly in harm’s way. His mind couldn’t decide, each option playing out various scenarios as pros and cons. _Either way,_ he thought, _this mission has to happen. We need to stock up on supplies while we still can._

     “Hey, wait! What about me?” Lance squawked with indignation. “How come Keith gets to go? Or Pidge? She doesn’t even _like_ walking!”

     Keith scoffed and turned his head away in half-hearted annoyance as Pidge gave him an abashed look.

     “What are you even talking about?”

     The blue paladin threw his hands up into the air in exasperation. “I don’t even know! Whatever’ll get me to go to Trekavis.”

     “No, Lance,” Shiro said firmly. “I’m going to have you stay onboard. This isn’t a full team mission, and we have to learn to divide and conquer.”

     Lance _tsk_ ed and crossed his arms, thin lips pursed into an even thinner line as he sulked. Coran dropped a hand heavily on his shoulder.

     “Not to worry,” he said cheerfully. “There are plenty of things to do on this ship that will keep you busy until they return. How about cleaning the cryogenic pods again? You’ve become quite the experienced cleaning lad!”

     Shiro could hear Pidge and Hunk trying to hide their giggles as Lance gave a barely concealed groan.

     “Fiiiiiiine,” he drawled out, and trudged off with Coran towards the healing chambers. “Hunk!” he called back before leaving. “I better be getting a souvenir!”

     “You got it, buddy!” Hunk returned, and gave Lance’s receding back a salute as the doors slid closed behind him. Shiro returned his attention to the remaining paladins.

     “Okay. Try to be down there for no longer than a couple of hours. We don’t want to make this an all-day trip.”

     The small group nodded as Hunk tentatively raised a hand, looking suddenly a little apprehensive.

     “So, uh, what if there’s something down there that I _don’t_ recognize, like if a plant looks good to eat but is actually poison or something. I mean, am I supposed to taste-test it or—“

     Allura cut his rant short with a light laugh and a reassuring smile. “Not to worry. That’s partially another reason why I’m going with you. My people have been consuming Trekavian plant life and other food resources for years. I’m rather familiar with what we can and can’t eat.”

     Hunk looked infinitely more relieved and exhaled happily as Shiro continued.

     “And if anything goes wrong, be sure to contact us. Communications will be on at all times, just in case.”

     Pidge huffed out a breathy laugh as they all left to suit up and prepare for departure. “Okay _Dad_ , we’ll call you when we get there.”

     Heat rose to Shiro’s cheeks as Hunk snorted and Keith grinned, and he decided he wasn’t going to even try to come up with some sort of retort. Even the easiest of missions could go wrong at some point, but he also realized he was being slightly overbearing. The Galra has just been too quiet lately. He sighed to release the build-up of tension and felt his body relax. _Calm down,_ he scolded his subconscious. _This is just a supply run. Nothing to worry about._

     His last thought somehow made him feel better, and after seeing the small team off, he decided to stay in the control room to figure out which planet’s distress call they could respond to the quickest. Looking through the various screens of live-fed images and sounds from around the castle, he could see that Coran still had Lance under his thumb cleaning the cryogenic pods, and Shiro was suddenly struck with an odd sense of peace.

     He had always loved space (heck, he wouldn’t have become a pilot if he _didn't_ ), but Earth had always been his home. But right now, watching the rest of the team go about their tasks, Shiro found himself beginning to consider the Castle of Lions to be like a second home; his teammates, like a second family. It was a rare feeling to have, and one he certainly didn’t want to change any time soon. A brief transmission from Pidge reminded him of the job at hand, and Shiro returned his attentions to the holographic map with a ghost of a smile on his lips.

     

* * *

 

     It was only after an hour or so that the alarms around the castle started going off; the blaring repetitive _buzz_ and flashing red lights causing Shiro to nearly jump out of his skin as he felt his heart skip several beats. He was glad he had decided to suit up earlier that afternoon, just before meeting everyone in the briefing room. Without giving his heart time to return to normal, Shiro checked the exterior monitors and was absolutely floored by what he saw.

     A small Galra ship had landed on the back of the castle and had opened an entryway through the hull, waves of robotic sentries flooding in, led by three Galran soldiers. One, who had been the first to enter, looked especially bothersome. His posture exuded pride and self-confidence, and Shiro felt sure that he was in charge of this particular intrusion.

     His mind was reeling. _How did this happen? How is it even possible? There’s no way they could’ve gotten so close unnoticed!_ Questions, so many questions, ran through his head at lightning speed, and he could answer none of them. The senior operative in him kicked into gear, immediately focusing on the here and now. It was one of the many qualities that made Shiro one of the best pilots to ever graduate from the Garrison, and one of the things he had taught himself to do very early on in life. _You’re no good to anyone in a panic._

     He quickly opened communication with the Trekavis crew.

     “The castle’s been breached. Galra troops have infiltrated the ship. Do not bring your lions back. I repeat, do _not_ bring your lions back! If Zarkon catches us all, Voltron is as good as his—“

     Shiro’s transmission was forced to end prematurely when Lance came bolting into the room, armor on, bayard drawn, and Coran not far behind. If they hadn’t been in the middle of an emergency, Shiro would’ve been impressed at the speed in which it must’ve taken Lance to suit up and get to the control room in that short amount of time.

     “Shiro!” the brunette burst out, breathless. “What’s going on? Why’s the alarm going crazy?”

     Before the black paladin could say anything, Coran ran up beside him to the monitor screens and took a sharp intake of breath.

     “But, how?” was all he asked, and Shiro could only shake his head.

     “I don’t know, but I can tell you one thing: Zarkon’s been busy.”

     A voice buzzed in through the control panel’s intercom.

_“Shiro! Shiro, come in!”_

     It was Allura, her voice strained with panicked concern. Shiro hurriedly opened a connection.

     “Princess, listen to me—“

 _“No Shiro,_ you _listen. We’re coming for a fight.”_ As she spoke, Shiro could see through the monitor that the sentries were making their way down the hall. They’d be at the door in a matter of seconds. _“Just stall for time—!“_

     He slammed his palm down on the intercom button, cutting the transmission short as a sudden loud blast erupted from behind the control room doors.

     “Aw man!” Lance dragged a hand down his face. “What’re we gonna do? They’re right there!”

     Shiro took a moment to steel himself. Allura’s words kept repeating in his mind. _‘We’re coming for a fight.’_ As much as he worried for the safety of his teammates, he also had no doubt they meant to do exactly what the princess had promised. He couldn’t even be upset; he knew he’d do the same thing if their situation was reversed. Nothing to do now but to trust in the team. He took a deep breath.

     “We do what the princess said. Stall for time.”

     A moment after the words passed through his lips, a particularly strong plasma blast punctured through the doors, creating an entryway large enough for several Galra sentries to file in and surround them. Shiro glared, wishing for once that looks could actually kill. He busied himself by thinking about the best time and way to start a fight. They didn’t have to win; they just needed it to drag on long enough for Allura, Keith, Hunk, and Pidge to come back. He looked over at Coran, who stood tall and stock still but otherwise portrayed no emotion.

     He had never seen the Altean royal advisor so. . .intense. His posture seemed almost cold, but his eyes burned with a deep rooted hatred that Shiro knew he had but never saw come to the surface. It was almost terrifying. He was suddenly very aware of Lance, who had slowly backed up until he was able to rest his arm against the control panel.

     “Lance?”

     The blue paladin met his eyes briefly before mumbling out the corner of his mouth.

     “Allura said to stall for time, right?”

     Shiro didn’t even have time to answer before the three Galran soldiers sauntered into the room. Their body language spoke volumes: They felt they had won with hardly any effort, and Shiro ground his teeth and glowered. As much as he wanted to wipe those self-satisfied smirks off their faces, he knew now was not the time. There was the very real possibility that things could escalate too quickly--they’d be useless to Allura and the rest of the team if they lost before help could even arrive.

     The Galran soldiers glanced around the room like they were appraising a new piece of furniture or a room in an open house before their gaze fell on Shiro. But before they could say anything, Lance abruptly cleared his throat and took on a surprisingly casual stance, leaning more of his weight on the control panel. All in all, he looked like a flirty flight student back at the Garrison. Shiro watched in moderate shock as the brunette ran a hand slowly through his hair and gave his audience a toothy grin.

     “Hey, you guys come here often?”

     Not surprisingly, he got no response. Coran’s eyes were wide with confusion, but he said nothing. Shiro couldn’t blame him. He was probably just as shocked as Shiro was. Lance winked at the soldiers, unperturbed. The Galrans froze; the leering expressions plastered into place like their faces were incapable of doing much else.

     “ _What_ are you doing?” Shiro hissed, taking care that his eyes never left the three immobile figures. Lance didn’t even try to respond as one of the Galrans strode forward. The other two backed away slightly as he moved, and one of them addressed him as “captain”.

     “My sentries have already searched throughout the ship. Three of the five lions are missing, and _you_ ,” he leaned into Lance’s face, “will tell me where they are. Don’t even _think_ of escape. You know you are completely surrounded, and without Voltron, you are defenseless.” His face split into a sneer. “Accept defeat gracefully.”

     Shiro could do little more than stare as the brunette blinked slowly, never once breaking face as he gave a gentle sigh.

     “You know, I’ve always thought Galran eyes were the most beautiful in the galaxy.”

     With a start, Shiro’s mind finally put all the pieces together. _‘Just stall for time--!’_

 

Oh. Oh no.

 

     The pompous captain didn’t seem amused. His countenance turned sour as his face morphed from personal triumph to scorn, and he jerked away from the blue paladin in disgust.

     “I have claimed this ship for the glory of the Galra Empire, and I refuse to have my plans thwarted by the impudence of a mere _human_.” He spat out the word as if it were profane. “Emperor Zarkon’s druids will not have wasted precious quintessence on a wormhole for this to fail!” He whipped around to face the other two soldiers. “Scan the nearby planets! Those lions will be returned to Emperor Zarkon, and I will finally succeed where Sendak failed—“

    “Woah there, buddy.” Lance’s gaze had suddenly turned downward and was looking at a certain area below the captain’s belt, one eyebrow raised high on his forehead. “Is that a gun in your holster or are you just happy to see me?”

     Shiro sprang forward as the Galran roared in anger, swinging an arm towards Lance’s head in a wild attempt to silence him. The black paladin’s right arm was there to block the attack before it could reach its intended target, and he could feel the adrenaline coursing through him as he delivered a swift kick to the captain’s chest, sending him careening back.

     Shiro turned to see if Lance was alright, but the brunette already had his bayard drawn and was firing at the several sentries that still lined the room’s perimeter. Coran had taken shelter behind the control panel and was making quick work with a blaster of his own. Many of the robots were already taken down, and Shiro quickly made a mental note to thank Allura for all the training exercises she had forced them all to do. Clearly, they were paying off.

    “More!” the captain bellowed, turning to his two underlings. “Bring in more sentries! Capture them!”

     Panicked, the soldiers turned back towards the hole in the doorway and moved to exit as quickly as possible. However, their path was abruptly blocked by a very large, very yellow blaster cannon, and Shiro didn’t have to think twice before dropping to the floor and ducking his head beneath his hands. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lance and Coran do the same.

     “Fire in the hole!” a familiar voice called from behind the weapon, and a cannon blast followed shortly after, hitting any poor unsuspecting being that hadn’t taken cover. When the barrage of firepower ended and all the sentries had been destroyed, Allura, Hunk, Pidge, and Keith quickly made their way through the narrow entryway, each with bayard in hand.

     Lance ran forward, throwing his arms around as much of his fellow paladins as he could and buried his face between Keith and Hunk’s shoulders.

     “Oh _man_ , am I glad to see you guys!”

     Pidge grinned while Keith looked moderately uncomfortable despite the light dusting of pink on his cheeks. Hunk happily patted Lance on the back.

     “And you know what the best part is? We got food!”

     Lance didn’t move, but Shiro could hear the faint sniffle as the affectionate gesture was reciprocated with a back pat of his own.

     “Thanks, big guy.”

     As much as Shiro wanted to share in the miniature celebration of their success, he wasted no time in apprehending the captain and his two lackeys, all of which were sprawled around the room; knocked unconscious by the blast from Hunk’s cannon. Allura strode to his side, and Coran followed behind her. They each regarded their captives in apprehensive silence.

     “Well? What should we do?”

     The princess sighed with unmasked disdain. “As much as I would like to keep them prisoner, I have a feeling they will suffer an even crueler fate once they return to Zarkon empty-handed.” She glanced at Coran. “Let’s get them back to their ship. We’ll relocate immediately after.”

     Shiro nodded in agreement. “Something tells me they won’t make it back to the Galra fleet any time soon.”

 

* * *

  

     That night (well, what Shiro could only _assume_ was night), after the Galrans were dumped back into their ship, still unconscious, and left to float in space as the Castle of Lions escaped through the Altean wormhole, the team, Allura, and Coran all found themselves sprawled about on their post-mission couch. Shiro sat between Keith and Pidge on one side while Hunk, Coran, and Allura occupied the other. Lance had chosen to flop himself down on the floor, facing the ceiling.

     No one had said anything for a while, which was customary for them as they basked in each other’s company. Shiro took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, and he could hear Pidge do the same beside him as he watched Lance prepare to speak, despite not bothering to move his head.

     “So, uh, how did you know when to bust in?” His voice seemed directed to no one in particular, as if it were a question he did not expect to be answered. Hunk, however, was eager to comply.

     “Oh, that was the easy part. Fighting all the sentries outside the room and all down the halls was way harder.” He nudged Lance’s foot with his own as he spoke. “We could all hear you through the intercom, so we knew you were in the control roo—“

     “Wait!” At that, Lance bolted upright and started straight at the yellow paladin. “You heard me? _Everything_?”

     Keith snorted. “Unfortunately. Those lines were _te_ _rrible_.”

     Pidge chimed in before Lance could retort back. “Yeah, I didn’t know if I should barf or just mute you. No wonder girls never talked to you back at the Garrison.”

     Allura giggled as Coran jumped in to defend him.

     “Though I must say, it was an impressive tactic! Who would’ve thought that such a confusing line of dialogue would prove so effective!”

     Hunk propped his arm over the top of the couch and twisted his face into the best imitation of Lance he could manage.

 _“I’ve always found Galran eyes to be the most beautiful in the galaxy,”_ he quoted, and Pidge and Keith doubled over in a fit of laughter. Shiro had to grin. It was a pretty good impression.

     The blue paladin ran both his hands through his hair, his face the brightest shade of red that Shiro had ever seen on his teammate.

     “Why do I feel like I’ve been laughed at, like, a _whole lot_ lately?” He glared at Keith. “I didn’t hear you coming up with any bright ideas. I bet you didn’t even do anything!”

     The red paladin was too busy wiping tears from his eyes, and Shiro felt he had to contribute.

     “Honestly though, I have never seen flirting used as a diversion before. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t impressed.”

     “See?” Lance gestured towards Shiro with both arms. “He gets it!”

     When the laughter finally died down, Allura stood and briskly brushed the wrinkles from her dress.

     “Well, paladins! Another job well done today. I can’t say enough just how far you all have come.” She stifled a yawn as she and Coran made their way to the door.

     “Sleep well, all of you!” Coran called as the doors opened, and several “good nights” followed them out as Shiro stood to leave as well, the others doing the same.

     “Let’s all get some shut-eye. I’m sure we all need it.”

     The truth of it was evident in the yawns and stretches that followed. Hunk was the first to leave, then Pidge, then Keith. Before Lance could make his way out the door, Shiro stopped him with an arm on his shoulder. The brunette turned to face him.

    “What’s up?” he asked through a yawn.

     “Great work today. That was some really quick thinking you did back there.” Shiro chuckled, despite his sincerity. “Even if your method was a little out of the box.”

     Lance seemed wide awake now, and ducked his head a little as he gave a short laugh; a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. He nodded.

     “Thanks. I mean. . . thank you. Have a good night.”

 

     To add to the list of firsts in a long while, Shiro slept deeply and soundly that night. A warmth that had settled in his chest since forming Team Voltron lulled him to sleep, and he dreamed about terrible pick-up lines and a group of friends whose smiles lingered long after he woke.


	9. Allura

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance is constantly found in the same unwanted place and Allura can't understand why

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so so SO sorry that this drabble took so long! DX This semester has been just the worst, and I really couldn't even find a handful of minutes to spend writing this without sacrificing something from my classes. *sigh* I love being a double major, but it's been really REALLY tough. 
> 
> That being said, I love you all so much and I thank you all for your patience! I basically owe Colecat25 and Nylasoutpost my soul for continuing to work with me on editing this chapter, and if anyone has any anything to share, please do not hesitate to put it in the comments!
> 
> The next couple of chapters should take less time to get out to you guys, but I'd hate to make promises and then not keep them, so for now let's just say that I plan to pace myself and see where it all goes. Thank you all again, so much! :D
> 
> Based off of [these headcanons](http://sheith.co.vu/post/148351176446/friend-can-we-get-some-lance-headcannons)

     The first time Lance had gotten stuck in the cryogenic pods was considered, by Allura’s standards, to be an understandable casualty. The Galra crystal had infected the ship’s AI system, and had therefore corrupted King Alfor’s presence within the castle. That particular incident had given Allura the worse waves of heartache since she had woken up from her 10,000 year-long sleep. Coran had been there to comfort her then, and even though he was still here, somehow losing her father a second time seemed like a more personal loss. This wasn’t about their people anymore, or Altea. This was her  _ father _ , and this time she had a part to play in his loss. She knew better than to wallow in self-pity and self-blame; that, without the Galra crystal, everything would have stayed as they were, and her father’s memories would still be with her. But, her own personal sorrows aside, she certainly didn’t blame Lance or his clumsiness for getting stuck during that incident. 

     The second time Lance got stuck in the pods, Coran had joined her in the control room with an amused look on his face and lilt in his voice as he read his report on the status of the medical bay.

     “What’s so funny?” she couldn’t help asking as she continued to run diagnostic tests on the castle’s shields.  She didn’t need to see his face to know he had seen something entertaining. His tone said it all. She heard Coran chuckle from his side of the room.

     “Oh, nothing of much merit. Except, of course, that a certain blue paladin had gone and gotten himself stuck inside another cryogenic chamber.”

     Allura puffed out a short laugh. “Again? And how did he manage that?”

     Coran came to stand next to her and folded his hands behind his back. Allura watched the progress of the diagnostic test with half-interest, thankful for the brief distraction from her undeniably bland day. Running constant tests and conducting ship repairs were tasks she took to diligently, but rarely did she ever enjoy it. It was just something that had to be done. The survival against the Galra often depended on it. But, despite all her responsibilities, she was still young and certainly not above a good prank or joke from time to time.

     Coran released a light sigh before raising his shoulders slightly in a vague shrugging gesture. “Didn’t seem like he wanted to talk about it.” He chuckled again. “Those pods are really getting a sprucing up, though. He would’ve done well in the Altean Space Squad’s boot camp.”

     Still keeping her eyes on the monitor as she closed out of the now complete diagnostic test, she grinned. “Do you think he might’ve fallen in?”

     “Into the pod? It’s possible. It certainly has happened before.”

     Allura learned later from the rest of the paladins that that was certainly the case, and between Hunk, Pidge, and Keith, the teasing remarks lasted for at least a week. Lance vehemently refused to go anywhere near the cryogenic chambers, which was fine since Coran had made him clean them all until they nearly sparkled. That was no over exaggeration, either. Allura had stopped by the medic bay one afternoon (just to check that everything was working properly), and was pleasantly surprised to find that the pods were spotless. She made sure to compliment Lance on his work, and the teasing from the other paladins seemed to stop right then and there.

 

     That is, until it happened again.

 

     The third time Lance got stuck in a healing pod he was missing for an entire afternoon, and although Allura found the castle to have been unnaturally quiet, his missing presence was realized only when Keith started speed-walking laps around the ship.

     He moved like a man possessed, a deep scowl plastered to his already serious face. At first, the princess thought that perhaps he was irritated and was just trying to blow off some steam, but when he came by the control room for a third time and quickly scanned its inhabitants, it suddenly dawned on her that he must be looking for something.

     “Keith?” she asked, turning away from the newest route she had been mapping. “Do you need help finding something?”

     The red paladin started like he hadn’t known she was there, and Allura couldn’t help but wonder why his face was turning a shade not so different from his lion. There was no shame in asking for assistance when you’ve lost something.

     “I-uh. . .” He paused, taking in one last scan of the room before returning his attention to Allura. “Have you-uh, seen Lance?”

     He broke eye contact, and the Altean had to fight back a smile as the puzzle pieces finally fell into place.  _ Ah ha! That explains it. _

     “I’m sorry, I’m afraid I haven’t seen him since breakfast.”

     Keith gritted his teeth in a poor attempt to stifle a groan as he ran a hand through his hair.

     “Yeah, me too. That’s what’s got me-“

     “Worried?”

     His eyes quickly darted back to meet hers, and she noticed that they widened briefly before he regained control of his expression.

     “Curious. It’s got me curious.”

     “Oh yes, of course.” Allura gave him a slightly pitied look before turning back her half-finished route.

     One didn’t have to know aeronautic sub-tech nano-weaponry to understand that something was definitely going on between the blue and red paladins. Their bickering held less venom, and they smiled around each other more. Additionally, when they thought no one would notice, they would draw out physical contact. A shoulder bump became a shoulder nudge, and the simple task of handing one a plate became a silent bet as to how many ticks it would take before one of them broke hand contact.

     It was all very amusing, but also somewhat frustrating. Alteans were never this blatantly obvious with their feelings unless they were absolutely sure of their intentions. This whole “dance around each other” tactic they seemed to be so fond of was so against Allura’s culture that it took every ounce of her willpower to not blurt something, a _ nything _ , that would force the two paladins onto the same page. But, she knew that wasn’t her place and fought through every urge in order to hold her tongue.

     She hummed thoughtfully when she realized that Keith was still standing in the doorway, looking for all the universe like a lost child, unsure of what to do. She gave him a sidelong glance.

     “Have you checked the medical room? Perhaps he’s around that area.”

     Keith still looked mildly distracted, and Allura swore she could almost see the gears turning in his head. His eyes were already looking in the direction of the medic bay, and he offered her an affirmative mumble and a small smile of gratitude as he turned to leave the room.

     “Yeah, I’ll check there. Thanks.” And with that he was off, walking with new determination in hopes of discovering Lance’s location.

     Allura sighed, a combination of exhaustion from work and amusement at the interruption.  _ One day _ , she told herself.  _ One day, they’ll understand. _ But those thoughts were quickly chased from her mind only a handful of ticks later by a sudden loud peal of laughter that lasted substantially longer than the princess had ever heard from the red paladin. The laugh abruptly changed to a shriek as a flash of black and red darted past the doorway, followed by a flash of blue and brown. A string of foreign words echoed throughout the hall and were nearly drowned out by the pounding of footsteps combined with the unbridled mirth of laughter.

     The Altean princess didn’t need to understand the words to know they were obscenities. It was something that she had learned from her many years accompanying her father on diplomatic missions to other planets. The one constant in every culture she had been exposed to was the tone of voice used in connection to the words being spoken. Curse words, she learned, were hardly ever expressed without emphasis, and Lance’s display of bilingual abilities was certainly no exception.

     “You saw nothing, Mullet-Head!”

     “You bet your ass I did!”

     “Don’t you dare tell Pidge!”

     As if on cue, the green paladin’s voice rang through the halls.

     “KEITH! Keith,  _ please _ tell me he got stuck again,  _ PLEASE _ !”

     “Yes-!”

     “NO-!”

    “Oh,  _ hell  _ yes! Hunk, you’re on kitchen duty!”

     “YOU FUCKING TRAITOR!”

     It seemed rather obvious where Keith had found him. It had happened often enough at this point that it was no longer shocking, albeit concerning. Allura considered the blue paladin lucky that he was surrounded by teammates who cared for his well-being so much. She’d hate if he got stuck during a Galra attack. . . 

     On that train of thought, she then decided to start paying more attention from then on.

* * *

 

     About a month later, the  _ fourth  _ time Lance got stuck, she finally deemed it a problem.

     “Lance,” she began, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. “What were you even  _ doing  _ in the medical ward?”

     Lance was sitting at the dining table with a blanket draped over his shoulders, and he sheepishly wrapped himself up tighter in an attempt to make himself look small.

     Allura sighed. She didn’t  _ like  _ scolding her teammates like children, but t _ echnically  _ she was at least 10,000 years older, and clearly more experienced in the workings of medical technology. She often had to remind herself that even living on a ship was a totally new experience for the paladins. There were probably a lot of things they weren’t used to yet.

     She took another deep breath as Lance fidgeted.

     “Uh, well. . .” He paused.

     “Yes?”

     “I, uh-“ His eyes shifted from side to side, and he refused to make eye contact.  _ Children. _ “I just wanted to find out what triggers . . . the doors . . .?”

     It was the least convincing attempt at a lie in the entire universe. Even Allura herself was far more eloquent when she was 5, and it looked like Lance knew it. He visibly winced the moment the words left his mouth, and if he was avoiding eye contact before, now he had his eyes squeezed completely shut. The obviousness of his lie was so apparent, it was almost tangible. Allura didn’t think there was much that could be said if he wasn’t willing to come clean, so she opted with the one word she thought would be the most effective.

     “Lance.”

     The results were immediate. The boy froze and slowly raised his eyes to meet hers. He exhaled and visibly deflated, all but his shoulders sinking into the depths of the blanket. He seemed to fully accept that he was about to be thoroughly reprimanded. Allura allowed herself to briefly wonder if this held any similarities to his childhood back on Earth. However, she had other ideas, and met his hesitant expression with a smile.

     “Lance, I’m not cross with you. I’m simply worried.” She paused to gauge the young paladin’s reaction before continuing. His shoulders lowered, and the vice-grip he had on the blanket loosened. A look of hope flashed across his face. “But! This cannot happen again, do you understand? What if you got stuck at the same moment as a Galra attack?”

     She threw him one more stern look for good measure. She did not want to resort to much else to get her point across. When she was a child, a stern look and a serious talk from her father had always been enough to make her regret any sort of misbehavior, and she hoped the same method would work for Lance. She didn’t know how Earthlings dealt with these sorts of things.

     Her worry seemed unwarranted, however. The princess’s apparent concern for his well-being seemed to bring a spark of energy back into his expression, and his confidence, which only moments ago was almost non-existent, was suddenly back in full swing. Having seemed to recollect himself, the brunette winked at her before standing up to stretch, his hands still holding onto the blanket as they reached high above his head, and gave a small satisfied sigh before folding up the blanket. Handing it to Allura, he gave her a sheepish grin.

     “Stay away from the pods. Gotcha.”

     He flashed the “finger gun” gesture at her, something Hunk and Pidge had explained as being a sign of flirting in certain situations, and Allura had to fight the overwhelming urge to roll her eyes.

     Well, he seemed perfectly fine. At least the numerous amounts of extra exposure to the cryo pods hadn’t affected him. Allura did nothing more than nod, and Lance took that as permission to leave. The moment she heard the  _ swish  _ of the doors open and close behind him, she brought a hand up to her forehead, using her fingertips as a rest for her head in a gesture that she vaguely realized she had picked up from Shiro. She scoffed lightly.  _ That  _ thought was not a priority right now. What  _ was  _ top of her list right now was what to do with Lance.

     It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, or believe that he would intentionally endanger himself for sport, but there was no denying that he was very much like a kitten: young, inexperienced, excited by new environments, and blissfully unaware of the danger he constantly put himself in. The latter would be infuriating if the boy himself wasn’t somewhat endearing. That being said, something had to be done, and she knew just the paladin for the job . . .

 

     Later that night as Allura was preparing to sleep, she checked the new monitoring system that Coran had helped install. The cameras were focused on the cryogenic pods, and as she punched in the security code on the screen, she saw the censors Hunk had put together fizz to life; first as a vibrating haze of red rays that slowly faded out of sight. “A little Earth inspired,” he had said. She almost felt bad for doing this. After all, she had found out from Hunk that Pidge had been daring Lance to go back, and although she knew Pidge’s intentions weren’t cruel in the slightest, she had to admire Lance for choosing to tarnish his self-proclaimed reputation instead of calling out his teammate. 

     Allura took one final look at the monitor, not particularly worried of any sort of intrusion, and settled into bed with a long content sigh. The mice took their places on her pillow, outlining her head like a sporadic halo of fluff. Her last fleeting thought before succumbing to the pull of sleep was the assurance that, despite the alarm system being directly wired to her room, she was going to have a much-needed good night’s rest.

 

     So when the alarm went blaring off like a foghorn several hours later, there was no stopping the princess as she threw off her blanket and charged down the hall towards the medical bay.

 

     “LAAAAAAAAANCE!”


	10. Keith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's just say Keith's not exactly having the day of his life, and Lance just continues to be. . . Lance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, if I thought the last update took forever, then this one took a literal SMALL LIFETIME. This one is probably my longest to date (I feel like I'm starting this say that with every new update), and I may have been a bit too ambitious. 
> 
> That being said, please feel free to let me know what you think!
> 
> Thanks again to Colecat25 and Nylasoutpost for all of their help! They read through as much of it as they could at around 3:00am yesterday morning and are awake with me even now as I'm posting this. Send them some love!
> 
> Also! I've opened up a twitter account! If you wanna share some thoughts or just wanna chat, hit me up at [MystoTwin](https://twitter.com/MystoTwin) !!
> 
> Based off of [these headcanons](http://voltronheadcanons.tumblr.com/post/148948577111/friend-can-we-get-some-lance-headcannons)
> 
> UPDATE: The link to the headcanons should be fixed now! Please let me know if it's not~

     “Can’t this thing fly any faster?!” Lance squawked into the intercom for the fifteenth time. Keith bit his lip, trying to concentrate over his teammate’s incessant noise, and did his best to ignore him. The panicked whine that followed killed whatever patience he had left.

     "Lance,” he ground out through clenched teeth. “If Voltron could go any faster, we would, so just shut your mouth and  _ fly _ .”

     The blue paladin made a strangled sound and seemed ready to throw back a response, but Shiro’s voice cut him off.

     “Guys. Really not the time for that right now. Allura, how long before the Galra fleet arrives?”

     “Judging from when we first received the distress call, you only have a handful of ticks before they see you on their scanners.”

     Keith bit down on his lip again, hard. That didn’t sound good. No matter how fast they were flying, even he had to acknowledge that there was no way they were going to make it in time. He licked his lips and was met with the metallic taste of blood.  _ Great. _

* * *

 

 

     The distress call had come in early the previous morning. Keith had still been sleeping instead of on the training deck; Shiro had caught him training relentlessly with the gladiator the day before and “strongly suggested” he take the next morning off. 

     “Unless, you want to help Coran with ship repairs,” Shiro had shrugged. “But  _ no training _ . I mean it. You're going to burn yourself out at this rate.” The red paladin had begrudgingly complied. 

     Keith wasn’t used to sleeping in, but apparently Shiro had seen that his body had desperately needed it. The alarm system’s blaring tone woke him with a start, and he stumbled out of bed in a confused hurry; knife in hand as he ran into the door-frame on his way out. 

     He was groggy and his eyesight was blurry, but that hadn’t stopped him from recognizing Lance as he hurried to the briefing room. He was already wearing his armor. Keith wondered for a quick moment if he had somehow fallen into an alternate universe. Lance was generally never more prepared than him. But then Lance took notice of Keith’s appearance, and the red paladin had no doubt he was in the right universe.

     “Whoa, rough night buddy? You look like hell.”

     Keith groaned and dragged a hand down his face. He didn’t feel like giving an excuse.

     “Actually, it’s the opposite. Guess I’ve got a little trouble sleeping in.”

     Lance raised an eyebrow but said no more until they reached the control room. “Ya know, I’ve got some music you can listen to. To help.” He paused. “Sleeping. The sleep thing.”

     Keith turned his head faster than he thought he was capable of in his current condition. Well, that was a surprise. The blue paladin’s cheeks colored as he shrugged, his shoulders hiking up to his ears.

     “Helped me through a lot of sleepless nights.”

     Keith would later blame the seemingly apparent lack of sleep, but in that moment he felt a warmth bloom in his chest and he couldn’t help but smile. It was small and weak but it was genuine, and it seemed like Lance could tell. There was no cockiness or sarcasm in his expression as he returned the gesture. Keith had to look away.

     “Thanks, Lance. I might have to take you up on that.”

     Lance opening his mouth to say more, but Allura was already debriefing them on the situation, and the two turned their attention towards her.

     “We’ve just received a distress signal from the planet Vetania.” She waved her hand through the holographic map, planets scrolling by from their current location to a pulsating, small green dot some distance away. “It’s a relatively small planet that is mostly covered by a form of water with a high amount of sulfur.”

     “Extremely acidic!” Coran called from across the room. He was typing away furiously at his control panel, running a full-scale sweep of the castle’s weapon and defense systems in preparation for the mission.

     “Of course,” Allura continued, “the inhabitants have long ago evolved to withstand the harsh environment. Should you need to go underwater, your suits and helmets will protect you.” 

     Her gaze traveled to each paladin as she spoke, and Keith was once again reminded of his appearance as he watched her expression change from business-like determination to confusion and concern. 

     “Keith, you look exhausted! Are you alright?” She gave him a once-over. “And where is your suit?”

     Keith knew he was usually one of the quickest to respond to the emergency alarm next to Shiro (countless sporadic drills had certainly put their speed to the test), and he didn’t have to look around the room to know that everyone had come prepared. Everyone but him, that is. Keith nervously ran a hand through his hair.

     “Sorry, Princess. Rough morning.”

     He cringed. He hated making excuses, even if the cause was legitimate. He felt the eyes of his teammates on his at every angle, and the red paladin desperately wished the floor would suddenly disappear so he could be quickly launched into space.

     Allura’s gaze stayed on him a second longer before shifting back to the rest of the group to continue. Keith found that he could breathe again, but couldn’t remember ever stopping. As he concentrated on steadying his breathing, he felt a sudden gentle pressure against his right arm and hurriedly glanced down to find the source. The cause made his face flare with heat.

     In this midst of his self-consciousness, Keith had failed to notice that Lance had somehow gotten closer than before. Close enough that their arms were touching.

     Oh no. No no no no no. This was bad. This was  _ very  _ bad. 

     Keith willed his heart to stay calm, but it seemed to have an agenda of its own. He could feel it racing as the heat spread down his neck to the tips of his ears. His eyes darted from person to person, begging to every deity in the universe that no one would notice their interaction while his mind flashed back to the night he first noticed Lance’s freckles. He thought they were too close  _ then,  _ but  _ now  _ was a whole different story. Keith didn’t dare move. 

_      Stupid Lance and his stupid arm. _

     Things between the two of them had been. . . interesting lately. Well, not  _ too  _ lately. Slowly but surely, it seemed like their nearly non-existent friendship was actually making an improvement, and Keith would’ve been lying if he had said he wasn’t happy about it. It was only natural to want to develop a bond with your teammate, right? And it wasn’t just with Lance. His connections with Hunk and Pidge were growing stronger too, and he was really starting to feel like the team was beginning to operate like a well-oiled machine. Which, in all honesty, was what it took when the universe needed a giant fighting robot made up of five separate lions. 

     But things with Lance. . . ‘interesting’ really was about the only word Keith could think of to describe it. The brunette still crashed in his room every now and then, switching between sleeping on the floor and sharing Keith’s bed (Keith couldn’t bring himself to argue anymore after the Freckle Incident). Lance still picked fights, Keith still rose to the bait, but the topics were so menial and there was so little bite behind their comments that they often found themselves grinning. He couldn’t remember ever doing that so frequently before. 

     So, this was all good, right?

     Keith wanted to believe that; wanted to believe that growing this close was the best case scenario and would only benefit the team as a whole. But the increased frequency in erratic heartbeats when he was around Lance couldn’t be normal, and neither could the equally frequent fluctuation in body temperature. He never spoke about it, and Lance never seemed affected. 

_      It must just be me,  _ he’d thought dejectedly. Just when things seemed to be getting better, his body had to literally go and find a way to ruin it. 

     The pressure against his arm increased slightly, bringing him back from his mental downward spiral. The gesture, although minute and seemingly insignificant, became Keith’s complete focus, and he had a hard time believing that everyone else wasn’t focused on it, either. However, he soon realized that the entire team, Lance included, was absorbed in Allura’s debriefing. Like Keith should be. Except, of course, that he hadn’t heard a single word. God, he really wanted to go back to bed.

     “Alright paladins, you have your mission. Get to your lions!”

     Lance let out a whoop and threw his arms in the air, jostling the red paladin next to him. 

     Oh shit. He had no idea what was going on. What did he have to do? He had to get to Red. Wait, no-he had to suit up first. Already wishing for the day to end, Keith turned to rush back to his room, but someone grabbed his arm before he could take more than a step.

     “Keith, buddy, are you sure you’re ok?” 

     Lance’s blue eyes were filled with worry, and Keith had to make a herculean effort not to stare.

     “I’m—I’m fine. Tired.” He turned away, desperate to function like a part of the team and just  _ get his suit on. _ “Gotta suit up.”

     Lance released his arm and shrugged. “Yeah, ‘course. Just. . .just take it easy or something, ok? You could be getting sick or whatever.”

     In any other circumstance, Keith would’ve been secretly flattered. He was used to this kind of attention from Shiro, but Lance? That was something else entirely. That day, however, Keith was tired. Tired from overworking himself, tired from getting out on the wrong side of the bed, and tired from all these weird reactions his body was having whenever Lance was around. That day, Keith’s irritation flared. He turned back to face his teammate.

     “Lance, we have a mission to do right now. There’s not exactly time to ‘take it easy’, so I would appreciate it if you just  _ drop it _ .”

     He watched Lance’s eyes widen a fraction before narrowing, but he turned away again and quickly made his way towards his room. He half-expected Lance to call out to him, or follow. He didn’t. Not that Keith was surprised. He was already regretting his actions.

     “You’re a real ass, Kogane,” he cursed to himself as he fumbled to put his suit on as fast as humanly possible. “A great freakin’ piece of work.” His foot caught on the fabric of the under armour and he tripped face first into his bedroom door. He let out a strangled screech and clutched at his now-sore nose. Thankfully there didn’t seem to be any bleeding, and he massaged it gently between his thumb and forefinger until a majority of the pain subsided. Satisfied but still grouchy, he ripped his helmet off his bed and tore out of the room.

     “No wonder you have so many friends.”

 

     By the time Keith had gotten to his lion, the rest of the team were already launched from their hangers, hanging suspended in space near the castle. Keith was very nearly downright ashamed. Not only had he overslept, but he had completely zoned during the debriefing, yelled at Lance, got stuck in his own armor, and now had made the team wait for him to get his shit together. This was not how he normally functioned. At this point, Keith was just about done. He was fed up with debriefings, fed up with suits of armor, and especially fed up with missions. For the first time ever, all he wanted to do was jump out of his chair, collapse onto Red’s floor, and not move for the rest of the day. 

     But, of course, none of that was actually an option at the moment. Keith swallowed in a physical attempt to push down his bitterness. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Shiro took the lead the moment Red joined with the others, turning his lion away from the castle towards a small, turquoise-colored planet. 

     “Alright team, we’re headed to Vetania. Be on alert.”

     Even though Keith knew the team couldn’t see him, he felt himself sink a little lower in his chair. Shiro’s lack of acknowledgement to his slow pace was, he knew, an attempt to not draw attention. However, it still made Keith feel worse, like he had become the elephant in the room. The rest of the paladins made affirmative responses as they took off to their destination. Keith said nothing as he moved to follow suit.

 

     Vetania, as it turned out, had decently-sized chunks of land that were scattered about, each with plenty of vegetation to sustain animal life. It was a wonder why the Vetanians hadn’t returned to land, but Keith figured that if that meant sitting around on crowded islands, then he’d choose the acidic waters, too. That being said, he couldn’t help but take a huge breath of air the moment Red opened her jaws. He let the air fill his lungs and held it for a few seconds before letting it out in one big rush. It smelled a little off, but in general it was incredibly refreshing. It reminded him a little of Earth. Vetania was in an ideal position from its sun, so the temperature was pleasantly warm. Keith needed to lift up a hand to shield his eyes from the star’s bright rays the moment he took his helmet off. It wasn’t bright enough to be blinding, but it was enough for him to consider putting his helmet back on and activating the tinted visor. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. 

     He hadn’t realized how much he missed the little thing like that. Keith was not someone who got homesick very often (if at all, since his previous definition of a home was a small shack out in the desert), but suddenly he was all too aware of the effect it was having on him. His eyes automatically drifted over to Lance.  _ He  _ was the one who always seemed to miss home the most despite his nonchalant attitude towards everything else, and Keith couldn’t find it in him to hold back his concern. Neither could Hunk, apparently. He was looking at Lance with an expression that was so soft and fond that it made Keith self-conscience all over again. He didn’t know why. He turned his attention back to Lance. 

     His face was surprisingly blank. His eyes held a dull glaze, like he wasn’t really focused on what was in front of him, but instead seemed to be thinking about something far away. Keith took a hesitant step towards the blue paladin, but Hunk held up a hand. Keith froze, afraid that maybe he had already crossed some sort of unspoken line of some sort. His fear must’ve been written all over his face; Hunk chuckled and shook his head. 

     “Just give ‘im a sec,” he said under his breath, then turned away from Lance to give him space. “Looks just like home, doesn’t it?”

     Keith blinked, a little surprised that his thoughts were being spoken out loud by someone else. He scrambled for an answer. 

     “Uh, yeah. It kinda does—”

     “Psh, no way.”

     Lance had come to stand by them, and Keith was relieved to see that he seemed back to his usual alert self. Hunk took it in stride.

     “Wait—wha—Lance, c’mon. How does this  _ not  _ look like Earth?”

     Lance grinned like he had a juicy new secret to spill. He shifted his weight to one leg and placed a hand on his hip, gesturing to the open water with his other hand.

     “I don’t know what planet  _ you’re  _ from, buddy, but you’ve got it all wrong. The water’s just. . .” He paused, waving his arm around as if he could snatch the description from the air. “It’s just too. . .  _ blue,  _ you know? Like, it’s not natural.”

     “Well,” Keith scratched the back of his head as he attempted to recall details he had read up on back when he was still at the Garrison. “Allura did say the water here is acidic.” He nodded towards the water. “The blue-ish green-ish color definitely backs that up. It’s too saturated.” He poked some loose gravel around with the toe of his boot. “Like back on Earth, there’s this one part of New England called the Blue Lagoon, except it’s really just an old abandoned quarry that was flooded after its use. It’s got a really similar color to here, but the Blue Lagoon got it from the minerals that dissolved into the water from the surrounding rock faces.” Keith returned his attention to Hunk and Lance. “That _could_ be what happened over hundreds of year—”

     He was met with two very still, very blank expressions. Keith blinked at them owlishly.

     “. . .what.”

     Lance was the first to recover, placing his other hand on his hip as he leaned forward, squinting. 

     “Yeah ok, go ahead and spew out random facts about water and their various colors like we know what you’re talking about, that’s fine. Except for uh, oh that’s right—where in the  _ heck  _ could you’ve possibly learned that from?!”

     Instead of getting aggravated at Lance’s apparently low opinion of Keith’s intelligence, the red paladin was more confused than anything. He raised an eyebrow. 

     “I read?”

     There was a bark of laughter from Pidge, who had walked over to join the conversation just in time to catch the tail end of it. Shiro was not far behind and didn’t seem to care if Lance could see his amused expression.

     “Yeah-well, I do too, ya know,” Lance spluttered. “We can  _ all  _ read. But what. . .what was  _ that _ ?”

     Keith narrowed his eyes and fought the urge to roll them. 

     “Lance, that’s called ‘science’. Isn’t that something you should’ve read up on? Dangerous solutions and stuff?”

     Lance’s spluttering increased as he attempted to say ten words at once.

     “In Lance’s defense,” Hunk cut in, looking a little sheepish, “that’s not exactly something I’ve read up on, either.”

     Coran’s voice came in through the helmets, abruptly ending the conversation.

     “Keith’s right, though. The minerals from within the island masses would’ve saturated the water over time. Who knows just how acidic it is now.”

     Keith crossed his arms and shot Lance a smug grin. Lance caught his eye and quickly looked away. Keith noticed his lower jaw jutting out slightly in a pout, and he scoffed lightly. Of course Lance would pout at a time like this. But somehow, the conversation had energized him a little, and felt significantly less irritated than before. He glanced at Lance again out of the corner of his eye. Somehow, with just a few words, Keith’s view of the day had improved. The tightness that had settled in his chest since the debriefing had loosened. He felt his smirk turn into a gentle smile. 

_      Lance strikes again, huh? _

     If things had stayed the same from when they had found the blue lion, Keith wouldn’t have been surprised if this whole exchange upset him even further. Back then, almost everything Lance did got under his skin. But, with everything they had been through, everything they had accomplished, and everything he had learned about Lance and the rest of the team. . .well, how could he not feel a little more affectionate towards them?

     Keith abruptly tore his eyes away from the blue paladin (he was definitely staring now), and realized he hadn’t been the only one looking for too long. His gaze drifted to Pidge, who was giving him the most self-satisfied expression she could muster; eyes narrowed into slits, corners of her mouth turned upward, and eyebrows raised. They made eye-contact, and Keith waited for the moment she would feel uncomfortable enough to look away. Instead, her cheshire cat-like smile grew, and she waggled her eyebrows at him in a characteristically Lance-esque gesture. Keith scowled and caved; being the first to look away. He turned his whole body away from her and faced the water, determined not to let her see the blush he felt spreading across his face. 

     “So, where exactly is everyone?” Hunk asked. Besides the dense vegetation and the cries of the various living creatures, there were no actual signs of anyone inhabiting the planet.

     “That’s odd,” Pidge said. “If they felt threatened enough to send a distress signal, shouldn’t there be someone here to meet us?”

     No one spoke, unsure of what to think. Keith glanced at Shiro and wasn’t surprised to find his face tense; lips drawn together in a tight line.

     “Pidge.” 

     “Yeah?”

     “You dropped those sensors on the planet before we landed, right? The ones we used on Balmera?”

     “Sporadically around the planet, yeah.”

     “Coran,” Shiro said, “Can you check for a large concentration of heat signatures? They could all be in hiding.” His words hung heavy in the air, and no one verbalized the very real possibility that they might’ve come too late. After several heavy ticks, they got their answer.

     “We’re in luck!” Coran’s voice chirped. “Two pieces of luck, actually. Firstly, it looks like the Vetanians are all underwater. Secondly, there’s someone on their way up as we speak!”

     No sooner had Coran finished his sentence that a tall, lanky, deep indigo-colored creature rose up from out of the receding waves and slowly lumbered towards the shore. The Vetanian was still quite a ways from them, yet Keith was already intimidated. Not only was this being a whole head and shoulders taller than Shiro, but its eyes, large and bug-like, seemed to glow a faint yellow. A single thick antenna, which was initially standing straight up, was slowly lowering backwards, concealing what was at its end. As the Vetanian drew closer, the yellow of its eyes grew paler as a translucent pair of eye-lids slid down. Lance made an audible squeak beside Keith.

     “Holy crow, look at his arms!”

     Well, those were a little hard to miss. Lean, defined muscles flexed under taut skin, and each webbed hand was tipped with five perfectly sharpened claw-like nails.

     “Why did they even send a distress signal in the first place?” Lance continued, speaking low as the figure drew nearer. “It look like he could take on a whole Galra fleet, hands down.”

     “How do you know it’s a guy?” Keith asked.

     “It’s a feeling I get, ya know? This guy just _radiates—_ ow!”

     “Shh!” Pidge hissed, quickly drawing her elbow from Lance’s side. “He’s here.”

     The Vetanian had stopped a short distance from where they were standing and glanced over each paladin’s face before settling on Shiro.

     “Could you be. . .?” he began. His voice was raspy as if it hurt to speak, and his words came as slowly as he walked. Keith’s patience plummeted as his anxiety skyrocketed. He wanted to know what was going on, and he wanted to know  _ now _ . “Could you be the paladins of Voltron?”

     “Yes,” Shiro said. He stepped forward. “We received your distress signal and came as quickly as possible. Have the Galra already attacked?”

     But the Vetanian seemed to have stopped listening and was musing to himself.

     “Then, there may still be time.” His gaze refocused on Shiro. “You must leave. Immediately.”

     “Wait, what? But we just got here!” Lance exclaimed. Keith couldn’t have agreed more. What the heck was going on?

     “Please, paladins. You must understand. My people were approached by the Galra some spicolian movements ago. They said that if we were to help lure Voltron to Vetania, they would spare our planet and its already dwindling land population.” He cast his eyes downwards. “We were the only species able to adapt to the rise in acidity. It has been told throughout many generations that the creatures on the land found no use  for the sea and forever stayed away. So too did the creatures of the water. And yet, my people are the only bridge between land and sea. We care for both, and are therefore granted the ability to survive wherever we choose.” He focused his gaze on Lance. “It seemed logical to many that we do whatever is required to save them.”

     “Then why are you helping us?” Keith asked. The Vetanian turned to look at him, his huge eyes unblinking under the cover of the eyelids.

     “There are some of us who cannot bear to think of what would happen if Voltron were to fall into Zarkon’s hands.” He returned to Shiro. “Please, there is not much time left. You must hurry.”

     “Then. . .what’ll happen to you guys?” Hunk asked, his voice full of concern.

     “We’re not leaving,” Shiro said. “With this information, we already have the upper hand. The Galra will think to strike while we’re confused and have our guard down.”

     “No.” The Vetanian shook his head slowly. “You must go directly. We are not so weak that we cannot fight to protect what is ours.” At this, he brought one of his webbed claws at eye-level as if to convince himself of his own words. “Those of us who repelled the Galra’s ‘offer’ have already developed a plan.” His expression suddenly took on a sly and cunning appearance; thin lips pulled back to reveal two rows of undeniably sharp teeth. “There is a reason why you see no one on land.”

     Keith couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Leave the people of Vetania to deal with a Galra fleet by themselves? Hell no. Not after coming all this way. How could they ever call themselves paladins of Voltron if they abandoned them now? His hot temper was starting to get the better of him. He clenched his hands into tight fists.

     “But you’ll need our help! Your distress signal was already sent out, the Galra will  _ know _  we’ve answered.”

     The Vetanian shook his head again.  
  
     “Ah, but they have no proof. If you leave now before they find you, they will have to surmise that perhaps help has not yet arrived. That is why I am begging that you hurry.”

     Keith started forward, aggravation fueling his words.

     “No way. We’re not going anywhere—” He suddenly felt  a pressure on his shoulder. He turned to see that Lance had a firm hold on him, and he watched as his teammate shook his head. “Lance, let go.” Yet Lance just shook his head again and jerked his head towards Shiro. 

     The black paladin was gripping his elbow with one hand while the other cupped his chin. Keith recognized that look, and apparently so did Lance. Shiro took on that stance whenever he was pondering over difficult situations, and Keith was relieved to see that Shiro wasn’t going to give up. But. . .how did Lance know? In his defense, Shiro wore that look much more often now that they were paladins. And yet. . .

     Keith felt shame wash through him for the second time that day. He was supposed to have been the one who knew Shiro the most. They were like brothers, they could discern each other’s facial expressions from all the time they had spent together back when they were at the Garrison. So, why hadn’t he taken the time to  _ think;  _ to at least realize that if anyone was going to be pissed about leaving, it’d be Shiro? His shame turned to irritation. He should’ve been more observant. He should’ve been more like. . . 

     His annoyance suddenly fizzled out, and he felt like he had been splashed by cold water. He should’ve been more like  _ Lance _ . Lance, despite his loud mouth, was far more observant than Keith gave him credit for (had he learned nothing from their growing friendship after all?), and he felt an indirect sense of pride for the brunette.

     “How long before they arrive?” Pidge asked.

     “There are only several dobashes left, paladin.”

     The silence that followed was tangible.

     “Alright,” Shiro said eventually. “We’ll retreat for now.”

     “What?!” Keith must’ve heard wrong. “Shiro, no, we can’t just leave—” This time, Lance grabbed his elbow.

     “I said ‘for now’,” Shiro continued. “If we time this right, we can put just enough distance between us and Vetania where the Galra will have to bypass the planet completely if they want to catch us. We passed an asteroid field on our way here. We can lure them there—”

     “And then we take them down!” Lance finished, punching his right hand into the palm of his left. “Aw yeah, I like where this is goin’!”

     And Keith couldn’t argue with him there.

 

* * *

 

     “Just a little further, guys! Legs, give it all you’ve got!”

     “On it!” Hunk replied. Lance made no response.

     “The Galra fleet have arrived,” Allura announced through the com. “You’re just out of ion cannon range, but they’ve spotted you.”

     “Perfect,” Shiro said. “We’ll take it from here, Princess. Meet us at the other end of the asteroid field.”

     “Good luck, paladins.”

     Well, they were definitely going to need it. The main ship wasn’t incredibly fast, but the smaller, more agile fighters were catching up, and it took all of Keith’s willpower not to chew his whole bottom lip off.

     Lance remained oddly quiet, but as Keith listened for any sign of life through the helmet, he swore he could hear a faint mumbling. It steadily grew louder, but so minutely that, at first, no one really noticed. It wasn’t until the fleet was within decent firing range that it made a complete transition to full-on panic sing-shrieking. 

     “mY MILKshAKE BrINgS ALL ThE BoYS TO tHE YaRD”

     Lance was beyond nervous, and it spilled through in the form of at least five different voice cracks.

     “ANd DAmn rIGHT, IT’S BeTTer THaN YoURs”

     Keith wanted to tell him to can it; that his hideous singing wasn’t going to fix the situation. If anything, it could throw off the entire team’s focus and make things worse for everyone.

     “I COUld teACH YOu, BuT I’D hAVe TO CHarGE!”

     He wanted to say it. He wanted to say  _ something _ , but he just. . .he couldn’t.

 

     Instead, he laughed.

 

     It bubbled up from the pit of his stomach, fluttering through his chest like a kaleidoscope of butterflies before tumbling out in rushes of air and sound. It was one of those deep-bellied laughs, the ones that make your abs hurt after a handful of minutes before dissolving into residual chuckles. Keith couldn’t fight the onslaught of laughter any more than he could make Voltron fly faster. The day had started out so terribly and had only gone downhill from there that Lance’s obscene screeching seemed so unnatural and out of place. They were flying in an asteroid field, being chased down by a fleet of Galra fighters, and were mere ticks away from going on the offensive to save Vetania and its inhabitants. By rights, nothing could’ve improved this day outside of Zarkon suddenly dropping dead. Yet here Keith was, struggling for breath because he couldn’t inhale fast enough to keep up with his own mirth. And he could feel its effects on the rest of the team.

     Forming Voltron always required that they keep their minds open to one another, but only enough to convey general ideas and information. Emotions would sometimes seep through, but they were usually drowned out by the task at hand. This time, however, Keith could feel the turn of his mood seep through to the other paladins. The improvement was immediate, as he felt a surge of new determination flow through Voltron.

     “Oh man, Keith.” Lance’s tone was borderline pompous, and Keith didn’t need to see his face to know he was wearing his signature cocky, shit-eating grin. “I  _ knew  _ somewhere deep inside you found me funny.”

     Like hell was he ever going to admit  _ that  _ out loud.

     “What’s not to laugh at? You sounded like you were going through puberty. First time?”

     Pidge snorted, and Hunk choked out a laugh before he quickly tried to smother it.

     “Let’s focus, team.” Shiro’s voice was firm, but no one could miss the hint of amusement that formed the undertone of his words. “We’re right at the end of the field. Legs, reverse thrusters!” Voltron whipped around in a single, fluid motion. “Form sword!”

     As Keith drove his bayard into the waiting console, he resolved that, right now, this was probably the best he’d felt for an entire spicolian movement. 

     And he had Lance’s shitty-ass singing to thank for that.


	11. Hunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunk really loves his sleep, but he's (somewhat) willing to sacrifice it if it means helping out a certain blue paladin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, everyone! I feel like I'm always apologizing for how long it takes to update, so I'll just skip right over to thanking each and every one of you for your endurance and patience. Honestly, reading all of your reactions and feedback really keeps the blood flowing. ⁄(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄
> 
> Speaking of which, I'd love to know how you guys started reading this dumpster fire collection of drabbles! Did you just find it randomly one day? Did a friend recommend it to you? (I'll die if that was how it happened, I swear) Or maybe you saw it floating around somewhere? Please let me know, I'm kinda curious! And, of course, any usual feedback comments are welcomed and appreciated~
> 
> As always, thank you Colecat25 and Nylasoutpost for taking the time out of their crazy schedules to edit through this with me. I AM NOTHING WITHOUT YOU TWO!!!!
> 
> Here's my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/MystoTwin) if anyone would like to chat!
> 
> Based off of [these headcanons](http://voltronheadcanons.tumblr.com/post/148948577111/friend-can-we-get-some-lance-headcannons)

     Hunk’s favorite time of the day, other than mealtime, was undeniably bedtime. And what wasn’t there to love? He could take a nice hot shower, throw on his coziest sleepwear, and finally snuggle down for the night with his pillow and all his blankets. It seemed almost contradictory; to get excited about putting his body into sleep mode. But bedtime was bedtime, and he would fight anyone who tried to forcibly deprive him of his beloved rest. 

     This particular night was no exception. He had just polished off a plate of leftovers from dinner, guzzled down a glass of. . .something (he wasn’t really sure what it was, but as long as it tasted good and didn’t make him sick, he was gonna ingest it), and he was more than ready to hunker down for the evening. Lance was certainly not the only paladin who enjoyed his beauty sleep; just the only one that was vocal about it. Not that Hunk was complaining. Part of what made them such good friends in the first place was their shared mutual enjoyment for a lot of similar things.

     Which is why when Lance came pounding on Hunk’s door when he should’ve been doing his nightly routine, Hunk was a little confused and a lot worried.

     “Dude, do you know what time it is?” he asked, rubbing at one of his eyes. He had been so close to falling asleep, and having that slip right through his grasp gave him an uncharacteristic sliver of irritation that he had to force to keep out of his voice. “Shouldn’t you be getting your facial on or something?”

     “Uh yeah, sure. Maybe later,” Lance said, looking decidedly distracted. He kept turning his head from side to side, and his eyes wide with panic as he jogged in place. “Look, you gotta hide me.”

     Hunk was wide awake now. “Wait, wha-? Hide you?” But he sidestepped anyway as Lance scurried into his room without waiting for an invitation. “Look, man. I already helped you hide the last time you stole Pidge’s data drive. She’s gonna come looking here fir-”

     “Nonononono,” Lance interrupted. “First of all, I  _ borrowed  _ it. Second of all, you know that’s the only way she’d finally get some sleep.” He had thrown Hunk’s blankets together into a mound of fabric, but suddenly seemed dissatisfied and ditched them. He made his way towards the closet. “And I’m not hiding from Pidge. It’s Shiro.”

     Hunk threw his head back and groaned.

     “Shiro? You stole from  _ Shiro _ ?!”

     Lance had been trying to fit himself in-between Hunk’s clothes but couldn’t hide more than half of his body at a time.

     “Geez Hunk, no! I didn’t steal from anyone!”

     “Oh. Ok, so what’s the deal?”

     Lance shimmied out of the closet, finally pausing to look at the yellow paladin. He sighed.

     “I. . .may have accidentally. . .challenged him to a duel.”

     “Wait, how did you manage to have your cards with you-?”

     “No Hunk, not a card game duel. A combat duel. Like, hand-to-hand.”

     “Oh.”

     “While I was sleeping.”

     “. . . Oh.” Hunk winced. As Lance’s room-mate back at the Garrison, it didn’t take him very long to learn that Lance had an incredible affinity for talking, both while awake  _ and  _ asleep. Learning how to co-exist with it while still accepting Lance’s friendship was another reason why Hunk was high on his “favorite human” list, but it had still taken some getting used to in the middle of the night. 

     The one major difference, though, was that the blue paladin was highly prone to making impromptu challenges if someone caught him at just the right point between consciousness and deep sleep. Hunk had been a victim to “Sleep Challenge Mode” many, many times. And now apparently Shiro had joined the ranks. 

     “Ooooooh boy. Oh boy oh boy oh boy.” Hunk grabbed at the top of his head as the full weight of the situation finally fell into place.

     Lance was getting antsy; his hands were clenching and unclenching, and he was bouncing his weight from foot to foot. 

     “But uh, he’s probably just gonna turn it into a training session in the end, you know?” Hunk offered.

     Lance whined. “That’s not much better! At least with a fight he could just kick my ass and call it a day. But a training session? For  _ hours _ ?!” His voice cracked as he tugged at his hair, his fidgeting only getting worse. “I gotta find a place to hide!”

     There was an abrupt knock on the door. Both boys jumped.

     “Hunk?” Shiro’s voice came hesitantly from the other side of the door.

     “Oh  _ quiznak _ !” Lance hissed. He looked around desperately before decidedly flinging himself up against the wall opposite Hunk’s bed.

     Hunk gave him a questioning look, but didn’t argue before reaching for the door. He let it slide open just enough so that his face could be seen.

     “Heeeeeeey! Shiro! Hey-hi-how’s it, uh-what’s up? How can I help you?”

     He could almost feel Lance’s eye-roll on the back of his head. He pointedly ignored it.

     “Hey, Hunk.” Shiro’s expression flickered with confusion as his eyes narrowed, squinting as he noticed how dim Hunk had made the lights. “Have you seen Lance?” he asked, taking a step closer to the door.

 

     Hunk was about to respond when he felt a rush of air behind him as Lance decided, at that moment, to launch himself from his hiding spot and dive unceremoniously into the blankets on Hunk’s bed.

 

     The yellow paladin could hear his friend’s body hit the blanket pile and quickly slid the door closed until only his face was exposed.

     “Uh, you know what? You just missed him.”

     Shiro raised an eyebrow, still clearly flummoxed and maybe perhaps a little unconvinced. The gesture made Hunk nervous.

     “Oh. Uh, alright.” Shiro took a small step back. “Well, if you see him, let him know I’ll be waiting in the training deck.”

     “Yeah! Yeah yeah yeah, will do, Shiro. I’ll tell him, don’t you worry-” Hunk rambled as the door slid closed. He braced himself against it, pressing his ear to the cold metal as he attempted to listen for the black paladin’s receding footsteps. Hearing nothing, he reeled around to the bundle of blankets.

     “Uh, Lance? What was that?”

     Lance’s head poked out from the pile.

     “What! I had to make a dash for it! A couple steps in and he would’ve seen me!”

     Hunk raised an eyebrow, mirroring Shiro’s earlier expression. “And you don’t think he saw your gorgeous swan dive into my blankets?”

     “One: I’m flattered you thought it was gorgeous. Two: No, I don’t think he saw me. They don’t call me ‘the tailor’ for nothing, you know.” The boy waggled his eyebrows as if to emphasize his point. 

     “Lance, I only remember hearing that nickname once. From you.”

     “Aw, c’mon buddy!” Lance exclaimed as he extracted himself from the tangle of cloth. “Don’t worry about it. You cut me a solid! Now I just gotta avoid Shiro for the rest of the night and tell him that I accidentally fell asleep tomorrow morning.”

     Hunk picked up one of the blankets and began folding it.

     “That’s not a bad plan, but, I dunno, why don’t you just tell him about your sleep-talking? He’d understand.”

     The blue paladin let out an indignant squawk as he flopped back down on Hunk’s bed, letting his legs kick out in front of him.

     “And risk  _ Keith  _ finding out? No siree! I’d be subjected to a lifetime of sleep-suggestions and sleep deals.” Lance waved his hands around exuberantly. “I’ll be doing chores for the rest of my paladin days!”

     Hunk set the finished folded blanket down and picked up the next one.

     “Oh yeah. You’ve got a point.” 

     A thought struck him, and he paused in mid-fold to look at his friend. “But haven’t you guys gotten, I dunno,  _ closer  _ lately?”

     Lance paused, grabbing a small portion of his hair and twiddling it around his fingers. 

     He hummed briefly. “I mean, yeah? I guess.”

     Hunk scoffed, and Lance threw him a look. Despite the dim lighting Hunk had set the room to, he noticed the slight darkening of his friend’s cheeks.

     “Alright, yeah. Sure. ‘Closer,’ ‘getting along,’ whatever you wanna call it.” Lance punctuated each phrase with air quotes, his mouth turned downward in a scowl. Hunk finished the second blanket and began on the third with a light laugh.

     “Hey man, you call it whatever you want. I’m just sayin’.”

     Lance huffed, and, grabbing Hunk’s pillow, scrunched it up in the crook of his arm, letting his head rest on it as he laid himself down on his side.

     Hunk took his lack of a response as contemplation, and stayed silent as he let the brunette mull over his thoughts. Lance said nothing until Hunk had finished folding all five blankets.

     “What. . .what do you think Keith thinks?” he asked quietly. Hunk would’ve missed it if he hadn’t been waiting for it. Still, he pretended not to hear.

     “I-I’m sorry, what was that?”

     “Hunk,” Lance groaned. “Don’t make me repeat it!”

     The yellow paladin laughed. “Alright, fine. Have it your way.”

     He lowered himself onto the bed, taking that time to let the question sink in. What  _ did  _ Keith think about their improved. . . whatever-it-was? Hunk wasn’t blind; he saw how they interacted. Even though Lance still liked to push Keith’s buttons, the jabs had definitely become more playful. The venomous bite behind their arguments were replaced by something warmer, something kinder. And Lance may have missed them, but Hunk had definitely noticed: Keith’s expressions had turned softer, and he would grace Lance’s receding back with gentle smiles from time to time. They never lasted very long, and the red paladin himself didn’t seem to be aware he was doing it. He would start as if coming out of a trance, and then promptly resume his usual stoic expression before moving on to whatever he was doing. Now, Hunk didn’t consider himself a love guru or anything, but he was pretty sure he was witnessing some serious pining on Keith’s end, whether he was aware of it or not.

     Hunk glanced over at his friend, who was still uncharacteristically silent while he waited for Hunk’s answer. What did Lance want to hear, exactly? Would Hunk actually be doing them any favors by sharing his observations? 

_      No _ , Hunk decided resolutely. Neither of them seemed to really understand their feelings. Saying something now could potentially ruin whatever progress they’ve made. It wasn’t just an improvement on their friendship, but the whole team seemed stronger, faster. Voltron was formed with just hardly any effort of will, and they’d been kicking some serious Galra butt lately. As far as Hunk was concerned, everything was happening at an incline, and there was no way he was gonna get in the middle of that.

     He took a deep breath. 

     “Well,” he began. “I think he’s probably happier now that the whole team’s got a stronger bond. Y’know, makes the whole ‘pack of yelmores’ thing a little more realistic.”

     Lance hummed in response, but said nothing. Hunk knew better than to press him for an answer. Lance was usually so talkative that his moments of silence were often alarming to most people. Hunk understood that it was just the way he handled muddled thoughts. If he needed to vent, or just talk to sort his thoughts out, Hunk was always more than happy to listen.

     Hunk had to fight back a yawn, his sitting position forcing his body to acknowledge its need for sleep. His mind was growing increasingly sluggish and hazy, and his limbs were growing heavy. He couldn’t hold back the next yawn, and Lance took the hint.

     “Thanks for helping out with Shiro, big guy. I’m gonna head back to my room.” He eased himself off the bed with a slight groan from the effort, and tossed the pillow at Hunk. The Polynesian stayed where he was, sleep winning the battle for his consciousness.

     “Anytime, Lance. Y’know where to find me. . .”

     The last few words trailed off as his eyes slid closed. He was aware enough to head his bedroom door slide open as Lance left. However, he was far too gone to register Lance’s startled yelp, followed by Shiro’s not so distant voice.

 

     “So, you talk in your sleep?”


	12. Pidge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge's nightly routine gets noticed by Lance, and now she has to suffer the consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again! It's definitely been a crazy-long time since I last updated, and I am SO SORRY! This chapter took a while to write out, mostly because I didn't really feel like it had any substance. After going through the editing stages, (thanks to the lovely Nylasoutpost and Colecat25) I was able to solidify a direction, add what needed to be added, and tie all the loose ends together. I truly hope this was worth the wait! Rest assured, Chapter 13 is already in the works. Hopefully I can get this all churned out sooner!
> 
> For those who are interested, I've actually been tossing around some ideas for AUs and such, so hopefully you can expect that in the near future. As always, here's my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/MystoTwin) if anyone would like to chat, and thank you all so much for reading and commenting!!!
> 
> Based off of [these headcanons](http://voltronheadcanons.tumblr.com/post/148948577111/friend-can-we-get-some-lance-headcannons)

     “Pidge, what exactly are you doing?” 

    Lance stood at the doorway to her bedroom, hands placed firmly on his hips, an eyebrow raised, and his mouth turned down in a slight scowl. 

    Pidge growled in frustration. This had to have been the fifth time he’d come busting in on her in just this one evening alone. She refused to move to look at him.  “The same thing I was doing an hour ago,  _ Mom _ .”

    Lance crossed his arms, the scowl never leaving his face. “And I'm pretty sure you told me you'd go to sleep after  _ fifteen _ minutes.” 

    The Cuban boy made no retort to being called ‘mom,’ which was something Pidge caught immediately. He was pissed.

    Pidge almost felt guilty, but one glance at the flood of Galran text flashing across the monitor replaced her guilt with a new wave of determination. She let out an exaggerated huff before finally turning around in her chair to face him, craning her head around a stack of papers to get a proper look.

    Growing up, Pidge had always kept the messiest room in the house. On the same day each week, her mother would come in and scold her to clean it up. It was her absolute least favorite chore, and Pidge would let everybody know by pouting and stomping throughout the entire task. But whenever her father walked by her room, he’d just wink and say, “Careful, kiddo! Your genius is showing.” 

    As she got older, she learned at some point that he was referring to the messy genius theory, and quickly came to the conclusion that a messy room really was not proof enough to determine a person’s level of intelligence. But, old habits die hard, and Pidge had definitely brought whatever organizational habits she developed on Earth with her to the Castle of Lions. 

    Layers of cords criss-crossed across the floor like the snakes at the bottom of the Well of Souls in  _ Raiders of the Lost Ark _ , and pages of notes, written mostly in English but with smatterings of Galran and Altean symbols, were scattered throughout the room.  Lance, who had remained where he was by the door, looked around,  _ tsk _ ed, and Pidge screeched as he bent down and began collecting some of the papers.

    “No! Don’t touch them! I won’t know where they are!”

    Lance froze mid-crouch, his fingers inches away from the nearest page. He shot her an incredulous look, but relented with an over-exaggerated eye roll. “Geniuses,” she heard him mutter, but she was far too flustered and frustrated to care.

    “Do. Not. Touch. My  _ stuff _ , Lance. Everything has a perfect place and they  _ don’t need to be moved _ .” She punctuated the last word with a loud huff of air and turned back to her laptop, not bothering to wait for Lance’s reaction. “And I’m  _ not  _ going to sleep.”   

    Pidge knew she was acting a little petulant, but she didn’t care. She wanted to get work done, and if she had to be stubborn in order for Lance to get the picture, then tact be damned, she was gonna channel Keith if need be. Unfortunately, she had forgotten that Keith wasn’t the only stubborn member on the team. 

    “Pidge,” Lance began distractedly. She heard small grunts of concentrated effort and knew he had begun picking his way through the tangle of gadgetry. “You’ve— _ oof _ —gotta sleep at— _ damnit _ , Pidge how do you have so much shit?—some point. You can’t keep this up forever.”

    He’d finally reached her chair, and it wasn’t until then that Pidge realized that he had brought a folded-up bundle with him. She threw him a sidelong glare.

    “I’ll keep this up for as long as I have to. I won't stop until I find them.”

    She made a mental note to start ignoring him, hoping that he would eventually grow tired and leave. That was not the case, however. He remained just as silent as she was, opting to stand beside her for minutes on end, shifting his weight from foot to foot as they both watched the Galran data scroll through at an unrelenting, steady pace. His unrelenting presence set her nerves on edge, and not even fifteen ticks passed before she broke her vow of silence to address him.

    “Lance, I'm working on something really important here, so I can't exactly drop what I'm doing right now.” She gave him a pointed look and jabbed her thumb at her laptop. “The data from that last raid we did had info on some recent captives. What if it includes my brother? My father?” The bite left her voice as she turned back around, slumping low in her chair. “They need me, Lance. I can't even  _ think _ about sleep.”

    The room was silent for a few ticks, and the green paladin wondered if maybe Lance had left without saying anything. Just when her curiosity was about to get the better of her, she heard him let out a long, deep sigh. It wasn’t a sound of exasperation, just. . . weary exhaustion.

_ Like I ought to be _ , she thought bitterly.

    She couldn’t honestly tell which was worse: nights of unscrambling and translating Galra data or nights with nothing but her thoughts. It was either fight through until the early hours of the morning, praying for a sign of her family, or toss and turn under her blanket in a vain attempt to shake away the morbid images of hypothetical situations her sleeping mind would bring. 

    Pidge yawned widely and made a half-hearted attempt at covering her mouth. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught her teammate watching her, eyes narrowed slightly. She narrowed her eyes right back.

    “What.”

    “You  _ are  _ tired.”

    “ _ Not _ , Lance.”

    “Then what was that?”

    “What was what.”

    “That yawn.”

    “People yawn.”

    “Yeah, sure they do. When they’re  _ tired _ .”

    “I’m not tired, Lance!”

    It came out a near yell, but Lance’s expression never changed,  daring  her to try arguing back again. Pidge groaned and grabbed a handful of her hair.

    “Why are you so obsessed with getting me to sleep? I’m not a kid!”

    Lance’s posture changed into something less confrontational but did not immediately answer, which worried her more than she cared to admit. She knew she was being stubborn, but that didn’t exactly warrant him to be so. . . parental. 

    Was her lack of sleep catching up with her and actually having an effect on the team? Did Shiro put him up to it? Was Lance volunteered to be the messenger and speak on behalf of the group? No. No, Shiro was the type of person who addressed a problem head-on, whether it was as the leader of Voltron or simply as a friend.

    Which meant the blue paladin came of his own volition. 

    She stole another peek at the boy next to her, who had begun unfolding the bundle he had brought with him.

    “We’re a team, right?” he asked, suddenly.

    Pidge started, surprised that he had offered an answer after such a long pause. She shifted her gaze away and readjusted her glasses.“Well yeah, we—”

    A sudden weight dropped on her shoulders, and her frame was enveloped in a comfortable and slightly fluffy warmth.

    She looked from the blanket to Lance.

    “And teammates gotta look out for each other, ya know?”

    He seemed to be waiting for a response, but all he got in return was a blank stare. Pidge honestly  _ didn’t  _ know. Well, she understood the basic point he was trying to make, but just not. . . this. She didn’t know why this all started in the first place, what caused the abrupt concern, and why the blue paladin had decided to take that concern and direct it towards her. 

    She had been functioning this way since their fight against Zarkon began, and never once had Lance shared his thoughts on her habits, let alone when to sleep. In comparison to her previous freedom, this just seemed demeaning; like she had done something wrong and was now being punished for it.

    Lance took one look at her empty expression and sighed. Again.

    “Ok, I’m gonna try this again.”

    He lowered himself onto the floor, taking up the only spot that wasn’t completely submerged by cords or papers, and adjusted his position until he was comfortable. His long legs were crossed beneath him, and he rested his elbows on each knee, his cheek resting in the palm of one hand.

    “Back home,” he began, “I’ve got a lot of siblings. Some are older, but I’ve got a couple of younger ones that I always had to take care of.” He switched his cheek to the other hand, eyes unfocused and distant. 

    “I was kinda annoyed when they became ‘my responsibility’, but my older siblings had taken care of me when I was a kid, so I couldn’t really complain and figured it was just the way life worked out. A few years in, I couldn’t even  _ think  _ about my life without them. . .”

    He trailed off and lifted his head just enough so he could meet Pidge’s eye.

    “When I left to join the Garrison, I knew I’d be going home for breaks and holidays and stuff like that. No big deal. But leaving Earth? Living on a giant castle ship and fighting to save the universe?” He let out a breathy laugh as he ran a hand through his hair. “ _ Holy crow. _ ”

    Lance winced as he shifted his position, opting to stretch his legs out when they finally grew numb. His body language was casual, nonchalant even, but there was an implication to his words. Something he had left unspoken, waiting for Pidge to connect the dots.

    She said nothing, but her mind was processing everything. Her relationship with Lance was not the strongest, especially when she had originally seen him and Hunk as merely stepping stones on the path to finding her father and brother. But now that they were part of something bigger, something that bonded them together as the universe’s only hope against a warmongering emperor, Pidge had long ago come to terms with the fact that she might not’ve been the best teammate that ever lived. She had always thought it was just enough to be a good comm spec back at the Garrison, and a diligent green paladin when she arrived at the Castle of Lions.

    But she hadn’t even been  _ that _ . Hadn’t she thought to leave the team before? Hadn’t she decided, at one point, that saving her family meant more than the entire universe?

    Pidge gave herself a mental check. No, it wasn’t like that. At least, not exactly. 

    At the time, she had felt the hole of anxiety in her chest grow bigger and bigger. It grew during every bonding exercise, every time “she” was “he”, and every incident that took her one step closer to finding Matt and her father, only to throw her two steps back. Eventually, she couldn’t take it. She had packed her things, had fought with Keith, and had been halfway out the door when the bomb exploded and almost took Lance with it. After that incident, after the team was forcibly  _ hurled  _ into that situation, Pidge had finally understood just where she fit in; as a paladin, as a teammate, but also as a member of a totally unique, completely mismatched support system. And Lance, at some point, had come to that same conclusion.

 

    They were a family. 

 

    She brought her mind back to the present and looked at him.  _ Really  _ looked at him.

    His brown hair was a little disheveled, his jacket slightly wrinkled, and the whites of his eyes somewhat pink around the edges. Worry lines creased his forehead, and he was fidgeting as he found his ideal sitting position.

    In short, he looked tired. Tired and worried. Pidge instantly felt guilty all over again.

_ He won’t sleep until I do. _

    The action itself wasn’t very much, but from Lance? The boy would schedule his bedtime in accordance to when he’d have to get up, just to make sure he’d get a full eight hours’ sleep. To Lance, sacrificing sleep was saved for life-or-death situations, or something else of equal importance. To have him consider her sleep like it was a matter of national security was, in a bizarre way, flattering.

    Pidge felt her resolve melt, and released the handful of hair she’d been holding on to with a defeated sigh. Lance jerked at the sound.

    “Fine, I’ll sleep.” She wrapped the blanket a little tighter around herself. “This blanket’s really cozy anyway.”

“Good,” was all he said, but she watched as Lance’s face split into a wide grin and rolled her eyes, still wanting to show some reluctance, even if it wasn’t real. 

    He stood and slowly leaned backwards, hands supporting his lower back. He gave a satisfied sigh as his back popped several times, and moved on to stretching his arms high above his head. Mid-stretch, his eyes suddenly lit up and he turned to her excitedly.

    “Hey, we should camp out!”

    Pidge blinked. “What?”

    Lance shoved his hands into his pockets, his eager expression never faltering.

    “We should camp out! Ya know, grab pillows and blankets and stuff and not sleep in our ‘designated rooms?’”

    “I know what ‘camping out’ means, doofus. But last I checked, we’re in  _ outer space _ . Hardly a place to ‘camp out.’”

    Lance’s eyes became slits, a look of suspicion washing away his previous exuberance. 

    “You’re kidding.  _ Please  _ tell me you’re not serious.”

    Pidge could do nothing more than stare at him dumbly. She was pretty sure she had understood him correctly. Her father and Matt had gone camping a few times before, but she had always opted to stay home, preferring to spend her time with tech rather than dirt.

    Did “camping out” sprout a whole new meaning while they were in the Garrison? Lance’s description matched what she knew about camping, so what was different?

    Lance didn’t bother giver her time to answer, and instead headed straight for the door.

    “It’s decided, we’re doin’ this. Bring that blanket and a couple pillows. We’re grabbin’ Hunk.”

    She complied mutely, quickly snatching several pillows off her haphazardly made bed as she scrambled to catch up with him. Her work, she begrudgingly concluded, would have to wait till later. Right now, this bizarre alteration of “camping out” had her curious, and she didn’t realize until she crossed the threshold of her bedroom just how tired she really was. 

    She stifled another yawn as they arrived at Hunk’s door. Lance raised a fist and thumped at it enthusiastically. “Hunk, my man, I know you’re not sleeping yet. Grab your stuff; we’re camping out.”

    Hunk’s door swished open within seconds, and they were greeted by his sleepy yet puzzled expression. “What,  _ now _ ? Dude, it’s like, 2:00am. How’re you even still awake? Didn’t you say you’d die without at least eight hours of sleep?”

    Lance was undeterred. “That was then; this is now. Besides, look who I’ve got!” His hand found Pidge’s back as he pushed her forward, flourishing his arm in a grandiose gesture. “Ta-da!”

    At the sight of the green paladin, Hunk’s eyes lit up, and he seemed to wake up slightly. “Whoa, Pidge, you really gonna join in?”

    “Wait, Hunk, what exa—”

    “Keep up, man, what else would she be doing here?” Lance interrupted. “It’s partial- team-sleep bonding time!”

    Hunk yawned, still groggy enough that he hadn’t caught the start of her question, and waved Lance away. “Ok ok, lemme grab my stuff. I’ll meetcha over there.”

    Without another word, Lance guided Pidge away from the door and steered her away with quick, determined steps. She craned her neck back to give him a suspicious look.

    “Are you  _ ever  _ going to tell me what we’re doing? This isn’t making any sense.”

   Lance grinned like a child struggling to keep a secret. “Nuh-uh. You’re better off seeing it first-hand.”

    She sighed and faced forward, not bothering to mention that she was going to see it first-hand anyway.

* * *

    When they arrived at their destination, Pidge was even more confused than before. “The lounge? What’re we gonna do, sleep on the couch?”

    “Ah-ah, little newbie. You gotta wait and see.”

    Lance took the folded blanket from her, and positioned himself in front of the couch cushions, facing the opening where the furniture created a crescent shape. With as much preamble as he could muster, he held the fabric by two corners and flourished it outwards, letting it glenty flutter to the floor like he was setting up for a picnic. Pidge stared as the rush of residual air caught her face, fluttering her cropped hair before settling back into its usual disheveled style.

    “Lance. What is this.”

    He paused halfway through fluffing a pillow to turn and look at her. “What is what?” he asked slowly, lips pursed and eyebrows drawn together in genuine befuddlement.

   Pidge gestured wildly to the scene unfolding in front of her. “This! First we’re in the lounge, then we’re not even on the cushions, and now you’re putting pillows and blankets on the floor? What are we, seven?”

    “Uh, excuse _ you _ ,” he huffed, returning to his work. “This is a sacred bonding ritual reserved for family, close friends, and awesome teammates, so you should be honored.”

    Pidge blinked. There it was again; that sudden realization of how far they’d come. All things considered, they had to be one of the closest teams in the universe, what, with piloting Voltron and all. And yet, looking at the group dynamic, there were still all kinds of kinks that definitely had to be worked out. She didn't mean between everyone per se, but on more than one occasion, she couldn't help but wonder just how strong her bonds were with each individual team member. 

    Allura had tried becoming closer once, but Pidge was in the complete opposite of a good mood, and had wanted nothing more than to leave. She still thought about that from time to time, wondering how it nice could've been to have a female friend for the first time in a while. Or,  _ any  _ friends, really. 

    Not wanting to dwell on those particular thoughts for much longer, she brought herself back from her musings to find that Hunk had joined them and was currently arguing with Lance on how to best arrange the pillows. Not knowing how to help, she sat down on the floor and fiddled aimlessly with one of the blanket corners.

    “So, Pidge?” Hunk turned to her, having relented to Lance’s pillow decor ideas. Leaving the rest of the work to him, Hunk scuttled on his knees towards Pidge’s sitting area. “You’ve never done this before? Even, like, with your brother when you were kids?”

    Pidge hummed as she delved into her memories. Of all the things she and Matt had ever done, she honestly couldn’t remember intentionally sleeping on the floor being one of them.

    “To be honest, no. We never really did any sleeping activities, though I guess we always did end up crashing on the couch if we played video games really late.”

    Hunk grinned. “Hey, that’s pretty neat! But you guys never went camping or anything?”

    Pidge shot him an incredulous look. “Do I  _ look  _ like an outdoor person to you?” It was clearly a rhetorical question.

    “You, uh—no. Yeah. I mean, no! You don’t.”

    “Well!” Lance exclaimed with a satisfied sigh as he straightened to admire his handiwork. “Better late than never, I always say.”

    “Lance, I’ve literally never heard you say that,” Hunk countered, making his way towards the newly flourished floor.

    The youngest paladin didn’t utter a word, though. She was too busy taking in just how  _ comfortable  _ everything looked.

 

    Lance had taken a majority of the pillows and arranged them in a sort of outline; framing the neatly laid-out blankets like a buffer from the rest of the floor. They fluffiest pillows were drafted to the place closest to the deepest part of the couch’s crescent shape, where their heads would be. There was enough space on the floor for plenty of wiggle room, and Lance had made sure that each area had enough blanket for each person to be covered, as well as two layers of blankets beneath those to ensure maximum cushion and comfort. Holy  _ quiznak _ , why hadn’t they done this sooner?

    Lance caught her ogling the blankets and gave her his signature sideways smirk. “Yup.” He punctuated the word with an extra pop of air as he stretched. “Blanket camp brought to you by Lance Extraordinaire!”

    “Aw, yeah!” Hunk wasted no time flopping down onto his designated spot, labeled only by one of his many blankets and pillows, and stuffed his face into the feathery cushion. “Laaance,” he cooed, his words barely distinguishable through the fabric. “Buddy, you did good.”

    Lance put his hands to his heart, his cocky grin melting into appreciated happiness. “Awww, Hunk! I knew you’d like it. And  _ you _ ,” he said, turning to Pidge. “If you’re waiting for an invitation, you already got it. Go on.” He gave her a mock bow and swept his hand towards her neatly situated pillow and blanket with the grace of a ballerina. “Get comfy.”

    Pidge didn’t need to be told twice. With a grin she had no intentions of fighting back, she scrambled to her spot, Lance not far behind. It wasn’t until then that she realized that she had been put in the middle, with Lance to her left and Hunk to her right. She froze, halfway under the blankets.

    A warm feeling settled into her chest. It was a sensation she hadn’t felt since the news of the Kerberos mission reached her ears; a comfortable sense of security that had her thinking about her brother and father. But there wasn’t any sadness or anxiety. She felt safe, cared for, and confident that these feelings would happen again, with her whole family together back at home. It was a nice thought.

    “Pidge?” Hunk’s expression as he watched her with his chin propped on his pillow was one of gentle concern.

    Blinking back the sudden heat that grew behind her eyes, she gave the Samoan a watery smile. “Yeah. I’m good.” She paused. “Perfect, actually.”

    Hunk grinned as he flopped onto his back and pulled the edge of his blanket up to his chin. On her other side, Lance didn’t lie down, but instead situated himself in a sideways position, putting the weight of his head on his hand, which was resting on his pillow. He yawned loudly. 

    “Oh man, I've outdone myself this time.”

    Hunk hummed in agreement. “Yeah, I think I hear the z’s callin’ my name.”

    Pidge followed Lance’s example and yawned, then removed her glasses and placed them just beyond the reach of her pillow, where she wasn’t bound to slap them in her sleep.

    “I’ve gotta admit,” she mumbled contentedly, comfort coloring her barely-audible voice. “This is pretty snuggly.”

    “Up up up! Not yet, you two.”

    Pidge swiveled her head to glare at Lance. “‘Not yet’? You just dragged me, my blanket, and my pillow over here to sleep, and now we can’t?”

    She heard Hunk chortle behind her. “Oh, I know what time it is.”

   The green paladin quickly turned to him, lips puckered in a small frown. “Wait, hang on, what time is it?”

    Lance gave a triumphant and haughty “ha” as he wiggled to readjust his position. He was still laying on his side, supporting his head with his left hand. “C’mon, little newbie. Those z’s are gonna have to wait. A sleepover is never complete without some juicy gossip!”

    Pidge scowled. “Gossip? Lance, we’ve been stuck in the same castle together for months.”

    The boy held up a hand in a pacifying gesture. “Hang on, hear me out. There’s gotta be plenty of things to chat about. I mean, think about it; we didn’t even know eachother that well back before we became galactic celebrities.”

    Pidge settled back onto her pillow, facing the ceiling. “I’m listening.”

    “Oo, oo! Pick me, I’ve got a question!” Hunk jumped in excitedly, smooshing his pillow beneath his head as he shifted to get comfortable.

    Lance grinned. “Alright, big guy. Go for it.”

    Hunk looked each of them in the eye, faking an intense air of seriousness. “Ok, ok, here goes. What keeps you guys up at night?”

    Lance scoffed. “Easy answer! Nothing.”

    Pidge snorted. Hunk looked unconvinced. “C’mon, man. There’s gotta be something.”

    Lance folded his hands behind his head. “Nope. I’m scotch free.”

    Hunk seemed unconvinced. “We’ll come back to you. Pidge?”

    Pidge’s good mood dropped about ten feet. She fought to keep her face neutral, but she couldn’t stop the tension that crept into her voice. “Well,” she began, pulling the edges of the blanket closer to her chin. She suddenly felt self-conscience. “I think about my family a lot. My dad and brother, specifically.” She twiddled with the edges of the blanket again and swallowed thickly. “It, uh, gets hard to sleep when any number of things could be happening to them, you know?”

    “Dawww, Pidge,” Hunk soothed. He quickly enveloped her in a bear hug, nuzzling the top of her head with his chin. Pidge patted his arm appreciatively, but didn’t trust herself to speak without releasing the dry sob that threatened to escape. Putting her fear into words had brought all the abysmal thoughts she had been desperately trying to hide forward. She was grateful that Hunk’s sideways cuddle covered a portion of her face.

    “Okaaaaay, bad question. Let’s move on!” Lance said quickly. “Way to be a mood-killer, Hunk.”

    Pidge felt more than heard Hunk shoot him a look. “Says the guy who won’t share anything!”

    “It’s not my fault I’ve got nothin’ on the brain!”

    “More like nothin’  _ in  _ the brain,” Pidge mumbled into Hunk’s arm, loud enough so only he could hear. The Samoan cackled loudly as he gently released her.

    Lance eyed her suspiciously. “Alright, I can just  _ tell  _ that was an insult, and I’m gonna have to warn you that sleepover invitations can be retracted.”

    Pidge rolled her eyes. “Oh no, how will I survive?”

    “These are limited edition, highly sought-after, one hundred percent  _ priceless  _ events!” 

    Hunk waggled his eyebrows at Lance. “No worries, Lance. I think I can take a guess at what you’re really trying to hide here.”

    Lance narrowed his eyes as he sat up. “Oh, by all means; tell me what I’m trying to hide. Because I’m lost.”

    Pidge looked expectantly between her two teammates, thankful for the return of the lighter atmosphere. 

    Hunk gave him a coy smile. “Oh, you knoooow. Maybe some thoughts about a certain dark-haired guy who pilots a giant alien red robot lion?”

    Pidge watched as Lance’s face lit up like a red light-bulb. She wasn’t blind; she was fully aware of what had been transpiring between Lance and Keith. Or, at least, what was  _ improving  _ between them. They fought less, worked with each other instead of against, and kept the overall synergy of the team together. It was a huge step forward, and the resulting stolen glances and lingering touches just seemed like an added bonus. At least for Pidge, who enjoyed nothing more than storing material into her mental compendium of embarrassing behavior for future use. Now  _ this  _ was juicy gossip.

    She scoffed. “Lance, please. You think any of this stuff is new to us?”

    Lance blanched. “W-what? Stuff? New? Who, me?” It seemed like he was desperately trying to relearn the English language and failing magnificently. Pidge quickly added it to her list.

    “Yeah Lance, you.” Hunk maintained the teasing timbre in his voice, but his expression suddenly became solemn. He untangled himself out from his blanket cocoon and sat up, crossing his legs beneath him. “And, well, you know. . .”

    The blue paladin visibly stiffened. “And what? What?! Spill man, I’m dying!” He grabbed his pillow and folded it over his head in an attempt to shield his ears from whatever was coming, but only succeeded in looking like he was wearing a floofy bonnet. 

    Hunk was also looking increasingly nervous, like he was seconds away from jumping willingly on a landmine. “I’ve, uh, seen you go into Keith’s room a couple of times. . . at night. . . and not come out.”

    Pidge’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Well.  _ That _ was news. 

    Lance hadn’t moved, but his face stayed a bright red. Pidge was suddenly aware of a high-pitched whining noise, similar to an old boiling kettle, and it took her a couple of ticks to realize that it was coming from Lance. Hunk was panicking in his own way; eyes darting from his hands to Lance and back again so quickly that Pidge thought he’d make himself motion sick. She decided to check for casualties.

    “Lance,” she said cautiously. “You know we don’t judge you or anything, right?” Lance’s eyes flitted to hers. She shrugged. “I mean, whatever’s going on between the two of you is your business. As long as it’s not messing with Voltron or anything, I’m fine. Right, Hunk?”

    He jumped in eagerly. “Yeah! I mean, it seemed kinda obvious you’ve gotta thing for him—” Lance squeaked. “—or something!” Hunk put his hands up as if he could physically push the squeak away. “Just know we’re right behind ya. With anything. Really.”

    Lance’s kettle-call came to a stop as the words sunk in. He removed the pillow from his head and stared at them both. Pidge hoped her expression reflected her sincerity. After a few moments, his tension deflated with a heavy sigh. “I just wanna clarify, we are literally only sleeping.” He put his arms in the shape of an x and uncrossed them emphatically. “That’s  _ it _ .”

    Pidge and Hunk shared a look and grinned. “Whatever, dude,” Hunk said. “Like Pidge said, we don't have to know what's going on in there.”

   Lance groaned and fell limply back on his side. “Ugh, just forget it,” he moaned, defeated. “You guys are the worst.” 

    Hunk settled back into his blankets. “That’s what we’re here for.”

    Pidge grunted in agreement, wiggling to find the most comfortable position. She found it after flipping over to lie on her stomach. “Hunk,” she said suddenly. “You didn’t even get to answer your question.”

    Hunk chuckled. “Easy. When I haven’t eaten anything since dinner, I start thinking about all the different kinds of tacos they must have on different planets and my thoughts just kinda go on this little train ride that keeps me up—” As if on cue, his stomach let out a loud growl. He grinned sheepishly. “Ah, there we go. Time for that midnight snack.” He hefted himself out of the blanket and padded softly towards the kitchen, humming softly to himself.

    Pidge smiled. Leave it to Hunk to take things as is. He wasn’t a simple guy by any means, but it was nice to be reminded that, at the end of the day, the basics were still important: food, drink, sleep, and safety.

 

    “You know what keeps me up at night?”

    She turned to look at Lance, who had swiveled his head in her direction, eyebrows waggling. Jests forgotten, he seemed to have recovered all of his previous bravado. For a moment, she had considered bringing Keith up again, just because she could, but thought against it. Instead, she decided to humor him. She gave a deep sigh. “What, Lance.”

    The eyebrows continued dancing. “The possibility of not being fergalicious enough to make them boys go loco.” 

    There was a pregnant pause as Pidge tried to absorb the punchline, repeating it to herself softly to make sure she heard it correctly. Lance waited for his words to have the desired effect, ridiculously smug expression never leaving his face.

    First, Pidge snorted. Then it morphed into a chuckle. Next thing she knew, she was giggling hysterically, the sheer idiocy of his statement fueling her until her words could only come out in broken, breathless phrases.

    “Oh my God, Lance—No, no—That’s just—that’s just so dumb! I can’t—”

    Hunk came rushing back, a plate full of green goo in his hand. “Wait, hang on, what did I miss?”

    Pidge flopped over, letting her giggles run their course. She gave up trying to speak and settled for pointing at Lance, who looked mildly surprised, yet pleased. His eyebrows were raised in high, well-groomed arcs, but his smile was one of childish delight; like he had just witnessed something magical.

    Hunk took one look at Lance’s expression before something seemed to click. “Ohhhh,” he drawled. “I got it; you guys had a moment.” He gave Pidge a wink and situated himself back down onto his spot to eat as she attempted to get her breathing back under control. 

    “Lance,” she finally managed to get out. “I don’t even know where to begin with that.”

    Lance held up a finger. “First off, being fergalicious is an absolute priority. And secondly,” at this is gave her a genuine smile. “I got you to laugh. So really, I’m the winner here.”

    Pidge returned the smile, then quickly stuck out her tongue. ‘Whatever.”

    Hunk yawned loudly, stretching as he set the now empty plate beside him on one of the couch cushions. “Well, I dunno about you guys, but I’m definitely ready for sleep.”

    Lance mimicked him, reaching his arms high above his head before settling back under the blanket. “Yeah, same.” He pawed at his face gently. “ I’m gonna get wrinkles at this rate.”

    “You’re going to get wrinkles at some point anyway,” Pidge noted, nestling into her own sleeping spot. 

    Lance grimaced. “Don’t tell me that! I just extended your life by like, five years with that laugh! At least tell me I’ll look young and beautiful forever.”

    She grinned at him. “In your dreams.”

    He huffed and grumbled as his head landed resolutely on his pillow with a  _ thowp _ , turning his back to her as he attempted to get comfortable. On her other side, Hunk had already found his ideal position and was already lightly snoring, which was honestly the fastest Pidge had ever seen someone fall asleep. She found that she wasn’t too far behind: her eyes were starting to feel heavy and her mind was beginning to wander aimlessly. She fought against it for a few moments; she still had one more thing to say before she could completely succumb to her exhaustion.

   “Hey, Lance?”

    She heard him hum in response.

    “This was fun. Thanks.”

    “Anytime, Pidge.”  

**Author's Note:**

> Contact me on my [Tumblr page](http://mystotwin.tumblr.com/) :3 I'd be happy to hear from you!


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